The Spaces of Syracuse’s Theatre: does the Contemporary Tragic Scene need Archaeological Research?

Abstract

The ancient theatre of Syracuse contains millenary architectural, theatrical, historical, cultural, social and ideological memories. Space of theatrical performances from the 5th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., it stopped functioning as a performance building for many centuries until it welcomed again stagings, especially of Greek tragedies, in 1914. How much and how the history and archaeological heritage of this theatre and of neighbouring monuments, connected to fundamental phases of its life, affect contemporary performances of Greek tragedies? How could they affect? For the actors, directors, scenographers who, in the 21st century, are called upon to stage Greek tragedies of the 5th century B.C. in the theatrical spaces of the Syracuse’s theatre, is necessary the awareness, supported by archaeological research, that this monument is not generically a ‘Greek’ or ‘ancient’ theatre but a theatre with specific architectural and spatial characters and meanings, with particolar characters and significances of theatrical and material culture? What can be the added value of such awareness for the contemporary staging of the Greek tragedy?