A group of storytellers opens a gateway through time. We are neither in ancient Greece nor in the present, but in a liminal space: a sort of bubble where different eras converge and myths can be observed at close quarters, as if they were happening right now.
This is the opening of the theatre production “Metamorphoses. Anachronisms on the myths of Ovid and Apuleius”, which will be staged at the former arena (Via Settembre) on Thursday 16 July at 9.15 pm (free admission) as part of the “L’Ora d’Aria” festival. The production, performed by the amateur theatre company “In Onda Teatro”, presents a selection of stories drawn from “Metamorphoses”, reimagined through a modern lens and infused with elements of everyday life, irony and contemporary pop culture.
Thus King Midas becomes a CEO too busy generating profit to realise he is neglecting his family. Bauci and Philemon illustrate the revolutionary power of hospitality in a world dominated by selfishness. Orpheus descends into the Underworld in pursuit of lost love, obsessed with a woman who no longer belongs to him. Alcyone and Ceice learn the hard way to love one another beyond convention, only to be transformed by their grief. And Phaeton, in a session with a psychotherapist, reinterprets the myth as the story of a son who longs to be seen by a father who is too distant.
“Metamorphoses – as the synopsis of the show states – are the way in which human beings have, since time immemorial, sought to give shape to their desires, their fears and their losses. And perhaps, looking at them from this impossible distance between past and present, we realise that those changes still affect us.”
“The ‘Ora d’Aria’ festival,” notes the Councillor for Culture, Franco Spina, “fully embodies the idea of theatre spread throughout the local area, which can rely on the irreplaceable contribution of amateur theatre companies. An event created to promote theatre and also to showcase the upper historic centre, in the spirit of its founder, Paolo Puccini. A precious legacy, which the Municipality of Castelfiorentino has a duty to preserve and develop, fostering a passion for theatre amongst young people.”
The following events are scheduled for the festival: Thursday 23 July, “Nero’s Game” (Compagnia Unicorno); 30 July, “Unrequited Death” (TeatroCastello theatre company).
