Shaitan

Written and directed by Germano Rubbi

Shaitan is a vision, an Arabic word that literally means “enemy.” General Nemed, true protagonist of the story and right arm of Holofernes, is an enemy that stands against the besieged citizens of Betulia, depriving them of water, the source of life, and tightening his hold on them like a encircling vise. For him, King Nebuchadnezzar’s word is equivalent to law. Nemed’s dedication clashes with the will of Holofernes, the army commander who falls love with Judith, a diplomatic adversary, and plays for time while he tries to woo her.

Nemed and Judith, the two antagonists, meet and clash in a verbal duel full of hidden meanings. Both play roles in a story whose outcome is already written: the epilogue of the battle and the role that both have in how history will be shaped. Other characters further charge the atmosphere with sharp tension: the servant of Judith, with her thousand doubts and lethal perseverance, and the two captains, the real culprits, under the command of Nemed, along with the pride of Holofernes, and the defeat of the Greek chorus which acts as a real metronome by punctuating the action throughout the story.

A dancer, moving without music, is the main thread of the story that allows the viewer to navigate the maze of sounds, voices and images projected behind the actors. Characters appear as if by magic, and paintings  from famous artists such as Botticelli, Gentileschi, and Caravaggio move across the walls, depicting the famed story of Judith and Holofernes. Shaitan is a story that repeats itself, the siege of a city in which one breathes, at every moment, the threat that lies outside its walls.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Title: Shaitan

Number of Actors: 8

Duration: 65 min approx

This show is meant to be performed indoors or in a protected space (theaters, halls, churches, piazzas). It requires the use of current for the lights of the stage (8 kW.) And for equipment for audio and video. Given the significance of the stage due to video projections on big screen, it would be appropriate to reduce the disturbing presence of light near the area representative to ensure adequate quality of the performance of the show itself.