Con l'occhio oltre l'ostacolo: la filologia è un''arte fantastica'? Le 'Donne al Parlamento' alla luce di un allestimento moderno

Sometimes, modern productions have much to say to scholars of Greek theatre and its visual dimension. With its explosion of meta-theatre and vitality, Serena Sinigaglia's Donne in Parlamento effectively keeps at bay anachronistic expectations related to the notion of character and psychological consistency. Modern scholars do not credit Aristophanes' Assemblywomen with much force and consistency, on the ground that Praxagora all too soon exits for good and fails to defend her comic utopia, as if Aristophanes - and by implication his audience - were disapproving of it. In Sinigaglia's production, however, Praxagora makes her presence felt all through the play, in that the heroine's role merges with that of other characters, who never fail to promote her plan. Albeit in different form, this was arguably true for the original production as well. Rather than a main character in the modern sense, it is the protagonistes, i.e. the first actor, who provides the play with unity and continuity. He does so by interpreting a series of related roles, all designed to promote Aristophanes' comic idea, as if the heroine, through her avatars, were always there. Modern prejudices are hard to shake off, but Sinigaglia's production effectively helps get the job done.