Gioco di Fuoco (Fire Games)

A theater piece created by Artmonks featuring original music and fire dance in the cloister, "Gioco di Fuoco" tells the story of the Roman goddess Vesta, imagining her response when her protégé allows a human to enter their sacred world of fire.
Director Liz Maxwell says, "Gioco di Fuoco was a huge artistic turning point for the AMP this year. As the first genuine collaboration among all four core Artmonks, Gioco di Fuoco was a chance for all four of us to bring our greatest strengths to the collective table and meet each other as artists and equals. As a team that knows each other personally, it was stunning to watch everyone come together, stretch and challenge each other, and ultimately put together a final work that was moving. For me, Gioco di Fuoco was the most lucid glimpse I’ve had in my two years at the AMP into what the heart of the Art Monastery is - and what it has the potential to be. With all of using ALL of our creative skills equally, working together harmoniously in a beautiful give and take of ideas and creative flow, it was a truly special experience that featured all of our strengths in a meaningful way. The show’s concept also touched on the heart of the AMP, exploring themes of the sacred feminine, the primordial attraction to fire, ways in which gods and mortals meet, and ancient sacrifice. Personally, it stretched me as a playwright (writing my first text in Italian!) while also challenging us as a group to find ways to communicate with an audience in methods beyond language."
This piece was developed through a contemplative collaborative process, using ritual to create ritual theater. Steeped in history, the final piece was an entirely original work of art.