A Globe Theatre in Rome? It's as you like it

 

By Laura Henry

ROME, Oct 2 – As you stroll through the grand Italian splendor of Villa Borghese, the last thing you’d expect to see is a relic of the English Renaissance. But it’s there.

The Silvano Toti Globe Theatre, an exact replica of Shakespeare’s famous London playhouse, peeks through the trees across from stone ruins and Roman statues.

But why, in a city that has so much history of its own, would there be the need to build such a replica?

The theater’s original purpose was to add to the cultural life of the city, providing a performance space that would be ideal for Elizabethan theater, especially Shakespeare. Builders also intended it to be an alternate open-air venue, as many performances at spaces such as the Roman Forum have ceased for fear of damaging the structures.

Built in 2003, in only four months, the theater is identical to its British counterpart. The circular structure is made of wood and holds 1,250 people. However, just as in Elizabethan England, only about three-quarters of the audience gets a seat. The rest must stand.

Rome's version of The Globe also preserves the tradition of the “pit,” in which audience members stand next to the stage and performers walk among them.

The theater has been a success, and this summer offered several of Shakespeare’s works, ending the season with “Come Vi Piace,” ("As You Like It") directed and translated by the actress-director Loredana Scaramella.

But a British icon thrown in the middle of an ancient Roman villa? Is this the same upshot of globalization that puts a McDonald’s across from the Pantheon? Mayor Walter Veltroni told BBC News in 2003, certamente no.

Instead, he said, the theater represents the positive side of globalization – the sharing of cultures.

Far from undermining Italian tradition, the theater integrates Italian, British, and other cultures through the art of theater. By performing Italian translations of foreign plays as well as inviting British theater companies to use the space, the Silvano Toti Globe plays to all audiences.

And though Italians may never get used to the sight of the British structure in their historic park, locals and tourists alike will continue to appreciate its contribution to modern Italian culture.

Comments

[reparo de para-brisas]

If you are the type guy that works on your car yourself then it should be no problem for you to build.