A Journal Excerpt by Emily Sadlock
Looking up from the seats, one can see the beautifully designed boxed seats. (click on the picture to enlarge it)		The theater--a place where you expect to watch a story acted out on stage by talented people. In Cagli's Teatro Comunale, stories aren't limited to just the stage; many more can be found from floor to ceiling as well. Soft, smooth brown wood is laid across the theater floor. Each step I take leaves a whisping sound in my ear and I am afraid that I will ruin its perfection. Twenty rows of seats are covered with pinkish-red material--the kind that tingles your fingers when you softly scratch, only to send shivers up your spine--like car upholstrey--but saying that would only diminish its beauty. The theater walls surround the seats in a horseshoe-like pattern. All seats focus viewers toward the stage. Splatters and drips of brown and tan paint cover the once white walls, providing a texture that my 11th grade Art teacher could only dream of. Surprisingly, though, the wall is smooth as I run the tips of my fingers across it. Further up, I notice three rows of boxed seats. A sculpted design embellishes the elegant wall protecting the boxes. It is pitch black inside these tiny havens, but I can see orange and cream colored striped wallpaper. Light fixtures flower out from the walls that separate each private room. Designed as a vine with light bulbs blooming at the end, the fixtures furnish an exquisite touch to the walls. Where the walls end, a gorgeous ceiling begins. A combination of blues, whites, yellows, and reds swirl together to form images of cautious design--there is not a stroke out of place. So magnificently created, Teatro Comunale does not only unfold stories for the audience on the stage, but off it as well.
		A partial view of the magical ceiling that covers the theater. (click on the picture to enlarge it)
				photo images by Mike Memoli