Ovadia and Incudine Stage Aeschylus's 'Suppliants' at Segesta Festival

On August 15 and 16, the Teatro Festival di Segesta presented a new staging of Aeschylus's 'The Suppliants' (Le Supplici), directed by Moni Ovadia and Mario Incudine. The production, performed entirely in Sicilian with elements of modern Greek and Arabic, blends classical tradition with contemporary sensibility. The cast includes Ovadia, Incudine, Federica Luna Vincenti, Eugenio Mastrandrea, and Paride Benassai. Incudine, who also plays a mercurial Aeschylus, described the work as 'a great cantata,' imagining the Suppliants as Sicilian devotees in procession, akin to the Black Madonna of Tindari or San Filippo d'Agira, carrying supplications for grace—here, the grace of welcome and hospitality. Ovadia, who plays King Pelasgus, emphasized the ancient Greek necessity of hospitality, noting that Zeus was the protector of suppliants, and that refusing to welcome was to deny one's own path. The production's themes of acceptance, borders, responsibility, and care for the vulnerable resonate strongly today. The music, composed by Incudine, weaves Greek, Maghrebi, and Sicilian influences, while the chorus of singer-dancers evokes Danaids, dervishes, and maenads. Ovadia's portrayal of Pelasgus was noted for its high pathos, deeply moving audiences.