Forma e linguaggi del teatro dei pupi

The work of Sicilian puppets, not unlike the "total social facts" postulated by Marcel Mauss, is a "total" theatrical performance. It incorporates a series of collective representations able to account for the way Sicilian society was structured up to the second half of the twentieth century. In Sicily, the transmission of folklore knowledge was the result of constant interference between ancient and modern models, coexisting in different socio-cultural environments. This has given to the folkloristic practices (rites, techniques, expressive manifestations, etc.) a peculiar physiognomy, not reducible to clear oppositions between different social layers (hegemon / subaltern, rural / urban) or between different communication techniques (orality / writing) .