The Popess
Written & Performed by Elena Mazzon, Directed by Colin Watkeys
Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU and Culture Lab in LIC
May 9th and May 10th
Religious Fervor Unravels
In-Scena, a Festival known for presenting Italian work by gifted artists since 2013, persists with a thought-provoking testament to radical feminism in The Popess: Instructions for Freedom.
The Popess takes us back to Milan in 1260 when a woman ascends to create a world of freedom. With might, solo artist Elena Mazzon, bounds forward, leading the audience through the travails of the Guglielmites. Direction by Colin Watkeys keeps us on our toes, and the joy of performance is revealed most as the audience participates in this live-action drama.
Writer/ Performer Elena Mazzon finds a great range of emotions, drawing upon Renaissance artistry and commedia dell'arte clown work. Like when she performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2024, she holds the agony of Catholicism with each word of passion. In strength, she connects to the text, breaking down the fourth wall to pose questions about death and the afterlife.
The winding script leaves space for surprising vignettes and cautious moments of recognition. Her gift of storytelling, including a takeover of a town square, drives belief beyond heresy. Unraveling counters extreme destruction, while the smoke, the crosses, and the robes provide signs toward discovering the mystery of faith. Mazzon even leads a chant, guiding the audience to sing Spiritu Sanctus.
Yet, the strength of The Popess: Instructions for Freedom is the clear call for action beyond what is so easily accepted. Particularly, after the first American Pope ascends to take the control of the Vatican, it is refreshing to re-discover the elements of ritual and bursts of liberation, sparked by leadership in Catholicism so long ago.
The Popess: Instructions for Freedom had scheduled performances through May 10 at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at NYU, located at 24 W. 12th Street in New York, New York. The In Scena Festival, with performances in five boroughs, continues through May 19, with performances scheduled until Closing Night and the 2025 Award Ceremony.
Click HERE for more information on the In Scena! Italian Theatre Festival.
Review by Marcina Zaccaria.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on May 13th, 2025. All rights reserved.