Ancient Greek Drama Festival Continues in Siracusa

By Alberto Lunetta /NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

The 55th edition of the must-see Ancient Greek Drama Festival continues to uphold its reputation as one of the preeminent cultural events focusing on the modern adaptation and performance of Western classics. Running through July 6 at the magnificent stage of the Siracusa Greek Theater, it features Euripides’ tragedies “Helen” and “The Trojan Women” and the comedy “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes.

Photo by INDA Press Office

Imagine sitting down in a beautiful open-air Greek theater and enjoying the passion and drama of a Greek tragedy, in the same way theatergoers did over 2,000 years ago. Every summer, Siracusa hosts a season of live performances of Greek dramas in its ancient Greek amphitheater. The 55th edition of the INDA Ancient Greek Drama Festival runs from May 10 to July 6. It has been a world-renowned tradition since 1914 and hosts thousands of spectators every year.

These performances will invoke empathy in its spectators of the stories of these tragic characters whose passion, fears, doomed love and tragedies are timeless. The drama will draw you in, truly creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain a firsthand experience of a pillar of ancient Greek culture. The performances are in Italian but audio guides that simultaneously translate in English are available to rent.

According to 4th century B.C. Greek philosopher Aristotle, “Tragedy depicts the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment, producing suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience.” So be ready to cry or laugh with the characters as you enjoy their superb acting skills.

Tragedy is one of the three dramatic genres of ancient Greece dramas. The word “tragedy” comes from the term “tragedia” or “goat-song,” named for the goatskins the chorus wore during the performance. It refers primarily to a tragic drama in which the central character—usually a king, queen, or hero—suffers an ill-fated situation in which they are deprived of all outward help, and are forced to rely on themselves. The character deals with external forces, which appear to rule his life. Eventually, tragedies express the vulnerability of human beings whose suffering is caused by a combination of human and divine actions.

This year’s season features three different performances that are scheduled on alternate days: “Helen” by Euripides (directed by Davide Livermore), “The Trojan Women” by Euripides (directed by Muriel Mayette) and the comedy “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes (directed by Tullio Solenghi). For detailed information on tickets and performance schedules, visit www.indafondazione.org

The Siracusa Greek amphitheater was built around 470 B.C. by Hiero I. Around 220 B.C., the theatre was expanded to its current size by Hiero II. The renovation expanded the theater to 140 meters in diameter and include 61 rows of seating for 15,000 spectators, making it the largest theatre of the entire ancient world. Famous plays such as “The Persians” and “The Women of Etna” by Aeschylus were premiered here. Besides the famous tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides, the theatre also witnessed the birth of comedy. The Sicilian playwright Epicharmos, from the nearby Megara Hyblea, was the creator of Greek comedy.

Under Roman rule, the theater was reduced in size to only 46 rows of seating in order to accommodate a larger stage area for gladiator games. Since then, the seats and auditorium have largely remained untouched, but visitors will need to use their imaginations to envision the original stage and scenes.

Above the theatre there is an artificial grotto, the Nymphaeum. It was dedicated to the Muses and fresh spring water still flows from its holes through the ancient canals. On the left side of the Nymphaeum there is a small street of tombs dating to the Byzantine period.

“Helen” by Euripidies

Synopsis from Britannica.com

In this light work, Euripides deflates one of the best-known legends of Greek mythology, that Helen ran off adulterously with Paris to Troy. In Euripides’ version, only a phantom Helen goes with Paris, and the real woman pines faithfully in Egypt. When Menelaus is shipwrecked in Egypt on his way home from Troy, he is baffled by the duplicate Helen until the phantom evaporates and permits his reunion with his real wife. The pair then escape from the Egyptian king Theoclymenus, who wants to marry Helen, by fooling him into believing that Menelaus is a shipwrecked mariner who escaped death when Menelaus died. Theoclymenus allows Helen to bury her husband at sea, equipping her and her disguised husband with a fast ship and all manner of funeral items. After they escape, the king learns of their subterfuge and eventually accepts the loss philosophically.

“Lysistrata” by Aristophanes

Synopsis from Britannica.com

This comedy depicts the seizure of the Athenian acropolis and of the treasury of Athens by the city’s women. At the instigation of the witty and determined Lysistrata, they have banded together with the women of Sparta to declare a ban on sexual contact until their partners end the Peloponnesian War, which has lasted more than 20 years. The women hold out until their desperate partners arrange for peace, and the men and women are then reunited.

“The Trojan Women” by Euripides

Synopsis from Wikipedia.org

This tragedy was first produced in 415 B.C. during the Peloponnesian War. It is often considered a commentary on the capture of the Aegean island of Melos and the subsequent slaughter and subjugation of its populace by the Athenians earlier that year. In the same year, the scandalous desecration of the hermai and the Athenians’ second expedition to Sicily occurred, events which may also have influenced the author.

The Trojan Women was the third tragedy of a trilogy dealing with the Trojan War. The first tragedy, Alexandros, was about the recognition of the Trojan prince Paris who had been abandoned in infancy by his parents and rediscovered in adulthood. The second tragedy, Palamedes, dealt with Greek mistreatment of their fellow Greek Palamedes. This trilogy was presented at the Dionysia along with the comedic satyr play Sisyphos.