THE EMOTION OF CLASSICAL REPRESENTATIONS IN SYRACUSE

We are in 475 BC in Syracuse. A man goes up the steps of the Greek Theater. It is Aeschylus, the great Athenian tragic poet, who is about to represent his work to celebrate the refounding of the city of Catania: Le Etnee. The Greek Theater is in that moment a scenic place of representation and agora in which to welcome the ideas of the population.

With a leap in time we arrive at 1914, when the same evocative location brings the classic tragedies back to life for the first time, turning them into unforgettable experiences.

Today, for over 100 years Syracusans, tourists and lovers of culture and art crowd the cavea of the Greek theater and enjoy the magic of this unique event. Only the world wars have interrupted the organized manifestation of the INDA, the national institute of ancient drama, with the aim of enhancing classical culture.

A great event for the city of Syracuse in a theater that boasts several firsts, starting with the fact that it is the oldest built in stone. Entirely excavated in the rock of the Temenite hill, with a very large cavea. In addition to being the oldest, in fact, the theater of Syracuse exceeds, in size, all the Sicilian theaters. But what makes everything even more special is the history of this place that spread a prestigious and rich theatrical vivacity throughout Syracuse. In fact, in the 5th century BC, no Greek city in Italian territory could compete culturally with Syracuse.

It is easy, therefore, to experience a very strong emotion while climbing the stone steps and the sun is beating before the show begins. Easy to feel the excitement of millions and millions of people who have walked on the same stones before us. It is easy to be moved while the sun sets on the scene and we find ourselves under a bright rain of stars.

This year, from 9 May to 6 July, Syracuse will once again experience the magic of classical representations with a special theme: “Women and war“. The 55th Festival at the Greek Theater of Syracuse focuses on female protagonism and expresses with profoundly different ways, plots and characters, a criticism against all wars from the female point of view. The works included in the 2019 billboard of Italy’s most important prose festival (two tragedies by Euripides, «Le Troiane» and «Elena» and the comedy by Aristofane «Lisistrata») are dressed in feminine giving viewers the point of view of heroines like Elena and Lysistrata.