Dante Today

Citings & Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture

Yale Cabaret, “Funny as Hell” (2009)

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“Dante’s Divine Comedy is a staple of the so-called western canon. Aged and distinguished–though mostly just age–like fine wine and pungent cheese, it’s the classic man’s classic. Roughly seven centuries later (incidentally, a divine number of completion), Russell Taylor, Brian Dambacher DRA ’11 and Dave Dambacher breathe new life into the familiar narrative with their collaborative creation, ‘Funny as Hell’… a baptism under fire.
Directed by Dambacher and Taylor, ‘Funny as Hell’ goes up this weekend at the Yale Cabaret. It features Taylor, Darlene McCullough and Ryan Hales DRA ’11. And in keeping with themes of the afterlife, this particular version marks the piece’s third reincarnation.”    –Nicholle Manners, Yale Daily News, January 16, 2009

Contributed by Patrick Molloy

Walt McGough, Dante Dies!! And Then Things Get Weird (2008)

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walt-mcgough-dante-dies-and-then-things-get-weird-2008“Seven hundred years ago, Dante Alighieri began writing one of the world’s most compelling and imaginative texts. This June, we respectfully screw it all up.

“Sideshow Theatre proudly presents the world premiere of Dante Dies!! (and then things get weird), a new play by Walt McGough oh-so-loosely based on Mr. Alighieri’s Inferno. Partway along the journey of his life, Dante finds himself mourning a lost love, feeling morose and, for some reason, in Hell. Trying to find his way home, he encounters incredible suffering, infernal bureaucracy, some sins of his own, and the aggressive attention of a competitive hot dog eater. Each step downward brings him closer to a personal reckoning with his own story, and maybe a chance to find an answer or two. Enacting the story single-handedly, versatile performer Matt Fletcher brings over fifteen different characters to life as he tracks Dante’s progress through the nine circles of Hell in this unexpected and epic adventure.”  — Sideshow Theatre

Contributed by Patrick Molloy

John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura, “The Young Inferno” (2008)

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john-agard-and-satoshi-kitamura-the-young-inferno-2008“A funky and powerful book. Agard takes Dante’s famous poem about a visit to Hell and reworks it to appeal to today’s youngsters, mingling 21st Century street cred with ancient mythology. Kitamura’s stylized black and white illustrations draw the reader effortlessly in.” [. . .]    —Amazon

Contributed by Virginia Jewiss (Humanities Program, Yale University)

Federico Fellini, “Ginger e Fred” (1986)

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“In the opening scenes, a group of TV variety show guests and performers are riding in a van from Termini Station to the TV studio for the taping of the show. Playing on the video monitor in the the van is what appears to be a children’s show, featuring a Dante marionette who is lost in a dark forest. The sequence ends as Dante finds a compass and happily walks home.”    –Roy Scarbrough

Contributed by Roy Scarbrough

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Coggeshall, Elizabeth, and Arielle Saiber, eds. Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante’s Works in Contemporary Culture. Website. Access date.

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