Posted by evan on Thursday, June 1, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

Experience Blog 5

Our last day of exploring new places dawned upon us. Much like Mount Etna, I was extremely excited to see what the day offered us, this time being exploring the catacombs of Siracusa and following up with a Greek tragedy in an actual outdoors theatre. While the catacombs certainly were interesting, the play truly shined as the last organized experience of our Sicily trip.

I’ve never been a big play person, as sports and action movies appeal much more to me. However, it’s safe to say after this play that I’m a fan of the Greek plays. “The Phoenican Women” captured my attention immediately and held it till the end. Since the tragedy was spoken entirely in Italian, we had a plot summary and English translators to assist us. Despite knowing what was going to happen, I was floored by the emotion in their voices, their exaggerated motions, and the atmosphere of the theatre.  The theatre was packed with locals, children and grandparents alike, and they were all so engaged with the play.

The Play at Night

The tragedy told of a story of two brothers who fought over kingship of Thebes, a struggle that would end both their lives simultaneously and leaving the kingdom in chaos. As I mentioned before, I felt the anger of the two brothers as they argued over rightful leadership and the sadness in the mother’s voice as she tried to keep them both alive. Despite having ancient origins, there was also a modern approach to the play, incorporating current-day soldier and civilian outfits.

One thing that surprised me was the attendance of the play. On a Wednesday night, I would have expected people to be at home or at work but the every seat was taken by the beginning of the play. For me, the most apt comparison would be sports in America. For sources of entertainment here, theatres and plays are quite a popular option whereas I feel that movies and sports are the go-to option in America. Additionally, I loved the outdoors theatre in Sicily whereas the plays I attended in America all took place indoors.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this Greek play, despite not following much of the original dialogue. A combination of the theatre atmosphere, excellent acting and novelty of the experience led this play to be one of my parts of the Maymester.

Evan Mercer