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‘The Mark of The Chemist: A Dialogue with Primo Levi’. A theatrical reading.

  • Event date: From November 07 2019, 19:30 To November 07 2019, 21:30 (Local time)
  • Place: IIC Melbourne, 233 Domain Rd, South Yarra
  • For a fee: No

 

 

A theatrical reading in English of Primo Levi’s The Mark of The Chemist: A Dialogue with Primo Levi.

Edited by Domenico Scarpa, featuringSteve Bastoni and Frank Lotito.

Based on a concept of Elisa Ferrio, The Mark of The Chemist is written in the form of a fictional conversation, drawing from Levi’s books, interviews and short stories, especially to remember the writer, scientist and witness of the Nazi death camps. With copies of his works sold in more than 30 languages, Primo Levi is one of the best-known and esteemed 20th century Italian writers. The project is a result of a collaboration between the International Primo Levi Studies Center and the Teatro Stabile di Torino.

The IIC Melbourne presents this theatrical reading as part of “Primo Levi: writer, witness, scientist”, a range of cultural initiatives that will take place in Melbourne between July and November 2019 to mark the centenary of Primo Levi’s birth (1919-1987).

In collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Australia, the Jewish Holocaust Centre, CO.AS.IT. Museo Italiano and MMV (Multicultural Museums of Victoria).

 

 Steve Bastoni

One of Australia’s most versatile and accomplished actors, Steve has
a string of film, theatre and television credits such as ruth,
The Water Diviner, Matrix Reloaded, the Golden Globe nominated
On The Beach as well as the TV shows Wentworth and Neighbours.
He has recently received rave reviews for MTC’s A view from the bridge,
and Red Stitch’s Ulster American. Steve has received multiple AFI,
Green Room and FCCA Award nominations.

steve bastoni

 Frank Lotito

Originally an actor/comedian from Melbourne, Frank has kept busy
on both sides of the camera acting, writing and producing.
His producing credits include: “Fish out of water” with Ian Thorpe,
“The Phone” hosted by Justin Melvey, “Stefano’s Cooking Paradiso”,
which was nominated for a TV Logie award; and “Vancouver Dreams”
2 hour special on the 2010 winter Games. His feature film producing
credits include “Big Mamma’s Boy”, which he wrote and starred in;
“The Lookalike”, “Broken Ghost” and the multi award winning
“Growing Up Smith”, which is also Frank’s directorial debut.
Frank recently directed the 6 part web series “Welfare” starring
Steve Bastoni, Peter Hallier, Damian Walsh Howling and Pia Miranda.

frank lotito

 

The reading stages an intense and unique exchange: with its clear, ironic language, open to the wonders of the universe, Primo Levi answers the questions of the interviewer and talks about his scientific vocation, his life as witness to the concentration camp, and his experiences as narrator and laboratory technician.

With the accents of fine writing, The Mark of The Chemist runs through the discoveries and emotions of a young chemist who was attracted by the secrets of matter. It covers the painful perversions perpetrated on scientific knowledge in the laboratories of Auschwitz, the challenges and the joys of work done well, and the adventurous and timeless spaces of the infinitely small. It does this through an interweaving of words that belong to Levi: the dialogue, born out of an interview with Philip Roth in 1986, in fact, consists of a montage of selections from Primo Levi’s works.

Primo Levi carried the mark of his being a chemist on his skin. He was a chemist by trade and a chemist out of a deep passion. The mark is in his writings, too: reading his work in this key helps discover the relationship between two universes – that of science and that of the imagination and ethics, which Levi needed just as much. It is a relationship that is more intimate than we are used to believing and one whose many facets can be a revelation.

The project is a result of a collaboration between the City of Turin and the Compagnia di San Paolo, founding members of the International Primo Levi Studies Center. With the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, the project has obtained the patronage of the Centro UNESCO di Torino.

 

 

=======

For the English translation, Liveright Publishing,

© The complete works of Primo Levi, edited by Ann Goldstein, introduction by Toni Morrison, New York – London, Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2015

For the original Italian

© Giulio Einaudi editore, Via Biancamano, 2 10100 Torino

Se questo è un uomo, Primo Levi

Il sistema periodico, Primo Levi

I sommersi e i salvati, Primo Levi

Altrui mestiere, Primo Levi

 

Reservation no longer available

  • Organized by: IIC Melbourne
  • In collaboration with: Jewish Museum of Australia, the Jewish Holocaust C