The mythical space of Giogina Pi: Lemnos (2022) and Teiresias (2020)

Abstract

The article examines the deployment of mythical space in
two contemporary theatre productions by Italian director Giorgina Pi: Lemnos (2022) and Tiresias (2020).
Through detailed analysis, it demonstrates how Pi transforms ancient Greek mythical spaces into
powerful metaphors for contemporary political and social concerns. In Lemnos, Pi reimagines
Sophocles’ Philoctetes by superimposing the mythical island of Lemnos onto Makronisos, a prison camp
during the Greek Civil War, crafting a profound commentary on political oppression and resistance. In
Tiresias, Pi constructs space through bodily presence and transformation, employing minimalist staging
to explore gender fluidity and temporal displacement in an imaginary conversation with José Esteban
Muñoz’s concept of queer futurity. The article argues that Pi’s spatial techniques establish a dialogue
between ancient and contemporary narratives, where mythical spaces become vehicles for addressing
present-day issues, simultaneously resemantizing myths while expanding their possible interpretative
scopes.