TRAITORS – A powerful double theatrical event filled with emotion and spiritual depth brought new life to the town of Isola del Liri (FR) in the days leading up to Holy Week. On April 5 and 6, 2025, at the “Premiato Cinema Liri,” the play Traitors was performed for the first time in the Lazio region. Directed by Giampiero Pizzol. The performance was offered by the Maria Valtorta Heritage Foundation, which organized it in collaboration with the Teatro degli Scarrozzanti of Milan.
This event was far more than a theatrical performance: it was an intense immersion into the heart of the mystery of redemption, a dramatic and spiritual journey through the complexities of human freedom and suffering, masterfully interpreted by Andrea Carabelli and Claudio Lobbia.
Judas and Peter: two faces, one redemption
Traitors delves into the inner turmoil of two key Gospel figures: Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Their stories—so different, yet so deeply connected—intertwine in a vivid and intense confrontation that brings to light the tension between ambition and failure, between falling and forgiveness, between abandonment and salvation.
The text, inspired by The Gospel as Revealed to Me by Maria Valtorta, is brought to the stage with great emotional strength and interpretive depth. The play unfolds on two parallel paths: on one side, the profound crisis of Judas, the man who betrayed Christ and seeks a way out of his pain; on the other, Peter’s troubled but faithful journey, where despite his fall, he finds the strength to rise again through mercy.
Their dialogue becomes a mirror of the eternal battle between good and evil—and a space for personal reflection: how far can the human heart resist the voice of Love?
A work born of deep spiritual research
Traitors continues a journey that began in 2021, when Giampiero Pizzol, already inspired by Maria Valtorta’s writings, created the medium-length film Io sono Giuda (I Am Judas), directed by Andrea Carabelli and still available on YouTube. In that film—as now on stage—the aim was to give voice and face to a figure both controversial and profoundly human, exploring the inner complexity of the “son of perdition” with respect, depth, and spiritual insight.
A bond with the territory and with the memory of Emilio Pisani
The performance in Isola del Liri held special meaning due to its location. The town is home to the Maria Valtorta Heritage Foundation, established by renowned publisher Emilio Pisani and his wife Claudia Vecchiarelli. Today, the Foundation safeguards the Valtortian legacy and promotes a wide range of cultural, editorial, and artistic initiatives to spread Maria Valtorta’s work and message worldwide.
For those wishing to explore the themes presented in the play more deeply, the book The Mystery of Judas, edited by Emilio Pisani in 2021, offers reflections, texts, and analysis on Valtorta’s writings about the figure of Judas Iscariot.
A theatre that leaves a mark
The strength of Traitors lies not only in its direction or acting talent. Above all, it succeeds in asking profound questions of its audience—calling each person to reflect on their own freedom, their sense of guilt, and the possibility of redemption. In an age often marked by haste and distraction, this kind of intense theatre manages to stop time and open a window into mystery.
With Traitors, sacred theatre proves once again to be a powerful and living tool for speaking to the soul, nurturing faith, and renewing hope.
(A. Cinelli, Avvenire – Lazio Sette)
