In the fourth issue of 2023 of the journal Visioni del Tragico – La Tragedia Greca sulla Scena del XXI Secolo, a contribution by Stefano Boeri and Anastasia Kucherova is published, dedicated to the stage design for Euripides’ tragedy The Trojan Women, performed at the evocative Greek Theatre of Syracuse in 2019.
This issue, titled Cassandra Goes to War. War Scenarios for Greek Tragedy, curated by Sotera Fornaro and Raffaella Viccei, focuses on the representation of war scenarios in the context of theater.
The text by Stefano Boeri and Anastasia Kucherova narrates the genesis and realization of the stage design for The Trojan Women, first written and presented in 415 BCE during the Great Dionysia. The tragedy recounts the experiences of the Trojan women immediately following the fall of Troy, depicting their despair as they await their fate as slaves to the victorious Greeks.
The scenography for the 2019 production, directed by Muriel Mayette-Holtz, creates a link between natural elements and the historical context of the Greek Theatre of Syracuse. It honors the void left by the ancient stage structures, amplifying the text’s power through a silent dialogue between the timeless stones and the surrounding landscape. The set dissolves the distinction between victors and vanquished, evoking a universal sense of loss and displacement. Presented in a context of precarious normality, the theatrical project anticipates profound reflections on the fragility of peace, the tragedy of migration, and the harrowing futility of war. Through a multisensory narrative and impactful visual interpretation, The Trojan Women bridges the past and the present, reminding us that theater, at its core, is a space for reflection and societal transformation.
For the full issue: https://www.visionideltragico.it/index.php/rivista