European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 02, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Thespian in a towers a photos by Scott Gates room above Villag houses 57-Seatj at Sommerhauser near Wei Mali Piero by Mali Piero the Painter. Mali Piero talks voluble. By Charles Graham staff writer Pipii Sugii it is a most unlikely spot j. Luigi Mali Piero has carved a pocket of creativity from the ancient Gate Tower of Sommerhauser Germany a quaint franconian Hamlet just South of the rooms above the Entrance Arch in the thick Stone Wall the genial an dramatic 67-year-old Painter actor stage designer writer director and pro Ducer of plays for his tiny 57-seat Thea Ter has created a charmingly intimate drama showcase. From the outside his torture Thea Ter literally Dale Tower theater looks no different from the other Cen Turies old town Gates of the Many picturesque burgs which Are a specially of inside is something else entirely. The Little theater and its adjoining rooms Are painted in a White or pastel shades with a self service bar run on the serves As writer actor stage designer director and producer. Often invites Audie ome after performance. Honor system located in the lounge atthe foot of the curving wooden staircase leading to the s paintings Are everywhere a cracked and worm holed six foot Tallwood carving of Christ hangs on one Side of the lounge and candles sprout from the Walls and pillars. The Trieste born artist is a Dynamo of Energy who considers himself a Painter first then a dramatist though his stage efforts Are a More unique contribution to the Art world. For 17 years Mali Piero has been adapt ing both classical extravaganzas an tightly written modern plays to fit his 14 /�-by-16-foot stage Ami the theater repertory company of himself his wife whose theater name is Ingeborg Matly and three or four Young people fresh from theater school graduation Cere older works Are a lot easier to adapt than the new ones said the Wispy haired aesthete who strongly resembles Charles Laughton. In former times playwrights used Many More frills and filled the stage with bit play ers and extras. Modern plays Are More precisely written. It is difficult to eliminate anything so i have to select the contemporary things very since the Gate Tower theater first opened its ancient Oak doors in 1950, the tiny stage with sets designed and painted by Mali Piero has provided the setting for 95 plays each running from 100 to 150 showings. Numbering Amon them have been a Midsummer night s dream who s afraid of Virginia Woolf and two versions of the Faust legend. In june of 1966 Mali Piero opened an other theater of about the same size in a room adjoining his Home about fifty Yards from the Gate Tower. The Newt Heater is our old practice theater. Now with two Heaters we do different plays each night. The old theater curtain goes up at 8 o clock and he Fenew theater starts at nuding explained. I Foo vent the is both shows Are 1 ferns j Thusia Stic play goer can s Penca Tui Ning at Sommerhauser my set ble after the a s Joves to invite the a Udie not Ojito sit around and talk about my heavy smell of 01 turpentine hanging in Lus the portly artist moves Anion & of canvases and pain n an easy familiarity Loen it looks like everything West into a hopeless Sera met becomes apparent t it w everything is in its pipe he loves to talk and1 a a Jor who seems to Perton Jle s Faust in. Uie local lathers gave him h broken ,1 Al Artl ent which was Ken allow rubble littered and to. Has staged 95 plays. Cramped., memories of those difficult Days have left their Mark. Mali Piero considers him self a pacifist and has chosen the Faust legend As his favorite because the theme involves no current and continuing theatrical project is to research and adapt for the stage a number of Faust stories which he says exist in every country. He has already completed eight of the play including English French Spanish and polish versions. The artist says he eve found an old Anonymous dutch play with a female Faust figure. When he is 70, the ebullient Mali Piero says he plans to do a series of 10 Faust plays in succession calling the project "100 Days of 67 he glows with a love of Lite that usually comes Only from those much younger. The Saddest thing he says is to watch yourself grow old on the outside while you stay Young on the with Ingeborg Matly in beloved tiar.1 the stars and stripes Page 13
