Art Escapes experience.

The dramatic arts of Ancient Greece and Rome played an important role in the creation of a common cultural identity throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. Along with temples, forums and baths, each and every city had at least one theater. Until mid September 2010, Ravenna pays homage to this important dimension of the Romano-Greek culture with its "Histrionica. Theaters, Masks and Performances in the Ancient World" exhibition, displayed in the city's San Nicolò complex.

Ancient Greek theater's influence on Western dramatic arts was both profound and long lasting. Today, classical drama still continues to draw the crowds, as can be seen from today's well subscribed performances in the theaters at Taormina and Siracusa. The "Histrionica" exhibition, organized by the Ravenna Antica Foundation, aims to increase knowledge of the dramatic art of Ancient Greek period, and its impact on Roman and Western culture as a whole, with sections dedicated to the era's theater design, and its most influential dramatists, theatrical companies, mime artists, musicians, dancers, and to the theater-going public.

The exhibition features an impressive collection of archeological finds, discovered in the area surrounding Vesuvius, which now belong to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Other exhibits are on loan from the Museums of Emilia Romagna and, in particular, from the Ferrara Archeological Museum, which owns a precious collection of vases originating from the Spina Necropolis. The exhibition is divided into 5 sections, each of which has a specific theme: the theater in Ancient Roman houses, theatrical masks, theater design, the dramatic genres (tragedy, comedy and satyr); and the origins of theater.

Masks, vases, frescoes, mosaics, stage props, statues and statuettes - via these elements, and clever staging, the visitor is introduced to some of the lesser-known aspects of Ancient theater. The workshop of an artisan in Pompei has been reconstructed to house fifteen casts, which once served as models for theatrical masks. Although the masks themselves, which would have been made using perishable materials such as cloth, wood and leather, did not survive the passage of time, it is known that those worn by female and elderly characters were painted in pale colors, those of the male characters were dark brown and that actors interpreting slaves wore red masks.

Amongst the statues on display the bronze of Augustus's second wife, found in the remains of the theater of Herculaneum, is particularly poignant. The statue, which depicts Livia at the moment in which she became a widow, has been placed next to a fresco of the Madonna - creating a silent dialogue between the two mourning women. The exhibition concludes with performances by young actors from the schools of Ravenna in an area which has been designed as an Ancient theater.

Histrionica. Theaters, masks and performances in the ancient world.
Complex of San Nicolò
Via Rondinelli, 6
Ravenna
Tel. +39 0544 36136
www.histrionica.it

20 March - 12 September 2010
Opening hours: every day from 10.00 to 18.30