As the saying goes, “The show must go on!” Arlington’s Synetic Theater is making sure the show continues by bringing its theater experience to viewers online. The cast of over 35 current, former and new company artists will be performing a digital adaptation of Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron.
The company will be releasing its adaptations of Baccaccio’s work every day over a 10-day period beginning Friday, July 10 on synetictheater.org with pay-what-you-can options ranging from $10 to $50. The full catalog will be available for viewing through at least the end of July.
Just like much of the region, Synetic’s Founding Artistic Director Paata Tsikurishvili was starting to feel the effects of cabin fever. “I have been getting stir-crazy and feeling sad not creating and collaborating, and now with this project, I’m feeling alive again,” he said in the theater’s press release. “We know that so many people are feeling the same way.”
The Decameron was written by Boccaccio in the 14th century as a response to The Black Death of 1347-1351. The collection of novellas consists of 100 tales told by a group of young men and women who left Florence to escape the plague. Boccaccio’s stories span a variety of themes and topics, from life lessons and tales of wit to tragic love stories, that still resonate in today’s society, especially during the current pandemic.
“The historical connection to Italy, the other epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, felt like kismet,” said Tsikurishvili. “Then as now, The Decameron showcases the power of storytelling in creating a community of equality and prosperity out of social isolation.”
For more information, visit synetictheater.org.
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