Dr Andrea Cusumano BA
Andrea Cusumano is a lecturer in Scenography and he convenes the Theatre Making: Design and Technology course.
Andrea is a director, performer and multimedia artist. In the past he has collaborate with Austrian Actionist Hermann Nitsch, coordinating his ‘6-Day-Play’ (a 6 day long Total-Theatre performance which involves hundreds of actors and musicians). Andrea is also the Conductor of the O.M.Theatre Orchestra, with which he played in several theatres and festivals across Europe (Burgtheater Vienna, National Gallerie im Hamburgerbahnof Berlin, Kunst und Austellungs halle der Bundes Republik deutschland Bonn, Punta Campanella Sorrento, Castel Sant’Elmo Napoli, Prinzendorf Schloss Vienna). He is Associate Lecturer in the MA Performance Theory and Practice and MA Creative Practice for Narrative Environment at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and Visiting Lecturer at the Rose Bruford College.
He is the Artsitic Director of CeSDAS (Space Applied Dramaturgy Experimentation Centre) in Palermo.
Research interests
Space Dramaturgy
Object Dramaturgy
Devised Theatre and Performance Compositional Strategies
Recent research
My research interest is centred on experimental dramaturgies and compositional strategies. I have been researching the work of artists, directors and set-designers, whose work attempts to identify alternative methodologies within the field of time-based works. The work on 'The Total Installation' of Ilya Kabakov or the Total-Theatre of Tadeusz Kantor are some of the most representative examples. More specifically, I have analyzed the work of Kantor in a PhD in which I have attempted to decode his complex methodology of work. Developing from my concern with Kantor I have explored the dramaturgical potential of space and objects. It followed a series of workshops, studies and installation-performances where I developed an approach to creating meaning by crossing the borders between written drama, directing, dramaturgy, and set-design. The methodology was developed in several experimental productions: 'Something about Lisistrata', installation-performance, April 2005, 'Cantieri Culturali', Palermo, 'Drabina Jakuba', theatre piece, March 2006 , 'Cricoteka', Krakow 'Tumor lined with infancy', theatre piece, June 2006, Teatro Garibaldi-Union des Theatre de l'Europe, 'A Funeral for Don Quixote', may-september 2007, Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Selected recent research and practice:
2008: ‘L’Amaro credo del mago Cotrone’, Performance, Orestiadi Festival, Gibellina/Steirische Herbs Festival, Weiz/ Area 10 Project Space, London.2008: ‘’ Oggetti e memoria nel teatro di Tadeusz Kantor’, Authored essay, University of Ferrara, eprints.unife.it/annali/lettere /2008vol1/indice.htm
2007: ‘A Funeral for Don Quixote’, Performance, Galeria Krzysztofory CRICOTEKA Krakow / Edinburgh Festival Fringe / Area 10 Project Space Peckham.
2006: ‘Tumor Foderato d'Infanzia’, Performance, Teatro Garibaldi-Union des Theatre de l'Europe, Palermo.
2005: ‘L'Aurora Dopo Il Tramonto’, Authored book (ISBN - 8878520098), E-Marts/Edizioni Morra, Napoli
2005: ‘Santa Kate da Gavorrano’, Artefact, Minerary Park of Gavorrano, Gavorrano
2004: ‘Orgien Mysterien Theatre’, Performance, Symphony Punta Campanella/ 122 Aktion, Fondazione Morra, Napoli, Italy