Mourning Becomes Electra and also the Old Oedipus. Two Sophoclean Tragedies on Stage at the Greek Theatre in Syracuse

This review examines two productions of Sophocles presented during the 2025 season of classical performances in Syracuse by the National Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA): Electra directed by Roberto Andò and Oedipus at Colonus directed by Robert Carsen. Andò’s Electra, starring Sonia Bergamasco, transforms the Atreides’ palace into a ruin suspended in time, mirroring the protagonist’s psychological paralysis and obsessive mourning. The performance draws on Hofmannsthal’s modern reinterpretation, portraying Electra as a neurotic ‘heroine of pain’ who seeks expression through music. Carsen’s Oedipus at Colonus, featuring Giuseppe Sartori, continues the director’s minimalist aesthetic, creating a sacred, meditative space framed by a monumental staircase, cypresses trees, and ritual gestures. The production emphasises Oedipus’s passage from guilt to wisdom and redemption, culminating in a transcendental vision of death. Together, these stagings explore mourning and transformation as parallel trajectories within Sophoclean tragedy. KEYWORDS: Sophocles; Electra; Oedipus at Colonus; National Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA); Roberto Andò; Robert Carsen