The laughter of Comari Vardette & Co., the life of Fred Buscaglione, and six evenings of performances under the stars. The allure of theater finds its home in Ottana with the 13th edition of Ottana EstaTEatro. The festival, promoted by the Barbariciridicoli company, which has been livening up the evenings of the Barbagia town for years, will begin on June 13th and inaugurate the 2026 Sardigna Teatro Festival program. Theater, music, and culture will accompany the evenings at the Andrea Parodi Amphitheater until August 4th; admission is free. Kicking off the event will be the ever-present Comari Vardette & Co., the "improvisational actors" of Barbariciridicoli, who, with gags and jokes "in Barbagia style," will distribute festival informational materials starting Friday the 12th in Macomer and Saturday the 13th in the streets of Ottana's center.
On the 13th, at 9:30 pm, the program will begin with "Some Like Fred," a show by the Origamundi company dedicated to the life and career of Fred Buscaglione. Ivano Cugia will take the stage, leading the audience on a journey through anecdotes and music that reveal the artist's most human and authentic side. The event will conclude with a talk entitled "Artists Tell Their Stories." Ottana EstaTEatro is also one of the main stages of "A Summer of Theater Under the Skies of Sardinia," now in its fifth edition. This will involve eight small towns on the island with 27 shows, ten traveling events, and 13 theater companies.
For artistic director Tino Belloni, the goal is "to bring theater to towns where it normally struggles to reach." The Ottana program also features Gramsci, and Sardinia as told through myths and traditions. Among other initiatives, there's also a tribute to Mina by drag queen La Wanda Gastrica. The events are supported by the Municipality of Ottana, the Region, the Fondazione di Sardegna, and private partners.
