One hundred and fifty actors, extras, choristers and musicians, the beauty of the Is Olias Park as a backdrop: everything is ready for “Passio”, the Passion of Christ in the Sardinian language which on Wednesday 23 April, at 7:30 pm, will be performed by the Joseph Theatrum company.
After six years, the green area of the former mountain community will once again be transformed into an open-air theatre , with spectacular sets and stands ready to host over a thousand spectators once again: this year the Passio has a special flavour, as it will be brought back on stage on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the birth of the Joseph Theatrum.
Sardinian Campidanese, in the variant of the strict Capoterrese: the work, divided into five scenic paintings set in the rural landscape of the park, is not a Via Crucis, but aims to show the figure of Christ as a man among men.
Marco Frau will once again play Jesus; Rita Cappai will play Mary; Rita Frau will be Magdalene; Maria Piano will play Martha; Daniela Scanu will be Esther. Giuseppe Palmas will play Pilate; Anna Maria Piano will play Claudia; Raffaele Puddu will be Caiaphas, Vittorio Dessì and Vittorio Lai will be Ananias and Anna respectively; Stefano Floris and Efisio Piras will be Pedru and Jacu; Massimo Palmas and Giovanni Montis will play Giuanni and Giuda; Ignazio Cappai will play the centurion, Gabriele Sanna will be on nightstands. Makeup will be entrusted to Martina Cappai, audio and lighting will be handled by Efisio Saddi, Michele Marras, Gabriele Casu and Davide Marongiu.
Franco Bayre, author and director of the theater company, tells where the idea of bringing the Passion of Christ in the Sardinian language was born : «A few years ago I had the opportunity to read the religious text by Lucio Spiga, subsequently I thought of bringing to the stage a work that tells the story of Jesus as a man more than a spiritual guide, written and performed entirely using the Sardinian spoken in Capoterra. Bringing the Passio back to the stage after six years will be a great emotion for us: we hope the weather is clement and gives us an evening without rain». Passio, sponsored by the Municipality, is an opportunity to promote the Sardinian language and culture, the mayor, Beniamino Garau, is convinced of this : «We strongly wanted this work to be brought back to the stage after so many years, we are proud that the Joseph Theatrum operates in our territory, promoting initiatives like this that carry on our traditions allows the new generations to learn more about the history of Capoterra».
