It represents rebirth, continuity, and probably a unique case in the world. Marina Valensise, journalist, writer and former director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Paris, of Calabrian origin, has been confirmed for the third time in the role of managing director of the National Institute of Ancient Drama Foundation, which with classical performances at the Greek theater of Syracuse is a unique case in Italy, but not only, of a theatrical entity capable of creating culture, attracting spectators from all over the world and producing economic value.
The appointment decree concerns the entire board of directors, which is composed of Monica Centanni, Greek scholar and classical philologist, scholar of ancient theater and professor at the IUAV University of Venice; by Caterina Barone, theater critic, cultural journalist, former professor at the University of Padua, scholar of ancient Greek and Latin theatre; by Francesca Bortoletti, theater historian and scholar of Renaissance theatre, who worked at the University of Minnesota and Leeds. The new board of directors will take office at the end of yet another record season: the figure as of 30 June is 201,500 tickets sold with four productions created: «Antigone», «Alcestis», «The Persians» and a replica of the «Iliad», plus a co-production with the Parco della Neapolis based on the book of Ovid’s «Metamorphoses». The proceeds are approximately five million 670 thousand euros.
A record broken year after year: a growth of 52 percent compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic. In 2020, the year of Covid, production was 2 million and 646 thousand euros. Since then the growth has been continuous: 5.238 million in 2021, 8.789 million in 2023, 8.689 million in 2024, up to the absolute record reached this year. No significant increase in public contributions, but a surge in revenues from ticketing and sponsorships.
Marina Valensise was reconfirmed unanimously first by the Culture Committee of the House and then of the Senate, with a clear bipartisan consensus. «I took office for the first time on 20 February 2020, and on the 28th Covid broke out and the theaters were closed – she explains -. However, we wanted to keep the torch of Greek theater burning by organizing a show divided into eight weeks, which was entitled “For voices alone”: monologues by great artists on contemporary texts. A huge success with the public: 450 spectators on stage while the illuminated quarry was empty. The following year we decided to do a co-production with the National Theater of Genoa and then we planned well in advance, relying on artists such as Robert Carsen and Davide Livermore.”
Marina Valensise – whose latest book is «A Greek heart. The return to the Classics in the twentieth century” (Neri Pozza, 2025) –
he has no doubts about the greatest difficulty: «It is trying to share with everyone the sense of a shared vision, of a common vision, which aims to guarantee the public productions of the highest quality, with internationally renowned directors who are capable of grappling with the simultaneity of the arts and with the control of a scenic space as large, as intimidating as the Greek theatre. And then the need to produce shows that speak to the heart of contemporary man without betraying the classic text: therefore absolute fidelity to the text, but at the same time an expression of a contemporary spirit to attract not only classical high school students to Syracuse, but a varied crowd of people who can find a reverberation of their passions”.
A success resulting from «great work discipline, many sacrifices, not only personal ones. We are very grateful to our audience and to all the people who have made this extraordinary growth of the season possible. In recent years, Inda has returned to its origins: an institute created by the will of a group of far-sighted Syracusan patrons who wanted to speak to the contemporary world, and had gathered around them the great contemporary artists, excellent musicians, artists of international fame.”
Great attention to translations: «We need to have translated texts that can be spoken, acted, staged, and not all translations meet these criteria. We were lucky enough to enlist great translators from Giorgio Ieranò to Walter Lapini, from Massimo Fusillo to Elena Fabbro and many others. I would like to bring Damiano Michieletto and other internationally renowned directors to the Greek theater, but also emerging Italian directors, who may be making their debut here at the Greek theater, but have already demonstrated great quality.”
The project continues. With a Greek heart.