The Greek theatre in Syracuse is a millennial historical landmark.  Just think that, every year, people from all around the world, come here just to see the tragedies staged here. The most recent one was  “Eumenedi di Eschio”.   Our school was supposed to go to this show, but unluckily it didn’t happen.

They organised this trip mainly because at our lyceum we study Latin and Greek so the school thought that it was a good idea to let us see and put in place what we have been studying on books for years and years. The tragedies that the school wanted us to see were Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and “Agamennon” by Eschilus.

Perhaps you know the story but it couldn’t hurt to revise.  Oedipus, was the foreigner who 10 years before beat the Sphinx, queen of Thebes. He was a father of four kids and he was married to Giocasta. During his reign there was a plague that was killing all of the people so he asked  an oracle to  help him- it turns out that the cause of the epidemic was Laio, the killer of the king before Oedipus. When  he found and killed him, he received a message that was going to change his life: Laio was his father, Giocasta was his mother and their kids were also his siblings.  What a shock!!

The Canadian director, Robert Carsen, takes on the blindness of each of us as an epic and pagan Christ. We are blind and without the courage to stick the buckle of truth in our eyes. Carsen’s interpretation of Oedipus Rex is a human and theatrical monument; in the denudation of the truth, man learns how to take responsibility for sins and destiny, so the director shows us these morals through the blindness and denudation of the actor.

Some history about the theatre:

In Sicily we are particularly proud of the theatre because of its history (we think that this is another reason why our school decided to organise a trip to Syracuse).

Between the 238 and 215 a.C the theatre was completely rebuilt but  history says that the first construction was around the 5th century in the 456 a.C. The architect was Damocopos, and originally the theatre only had three tiers and it was a trapezoid, but when they rebuilt it, they changed the shape to a semicircle and it still has this shape. The history of the theatre is too long, but if you are interested you can do some research about it! Especially  if you want to spend a holiday in Sicily!

Written by Ilaria M. II AL and Rebecca S. IIAL

“La Bambina Sputafuoco” by Giulia Binando Melis, Garzanti, 2022

The book “La Bambina Sputafuoco” is the true story of the author. As a child she had a serious illness that kept her in the hospital for a long time, making it her second home, where she found friends and people who supported her.

Mina, the protagonist, an 8-year-old girl, is diagnosed with a disease she did not understand but slowly realizes what is happening to her. Many children were in hospital like her: such as Lorenzo who will become a great friend to her. They share many experiences such as the escape from the hospital, with the need to savour freedom, normality and the carefreeness of their age. What will happen next? This you will find out…

Thanks to this story we learn about our feelings, and to hope and believe in the power of the imagination.
The story is full of details, great characters and of course imagination. Reading the book you will feel the fearful, courageous and fragile little girl inside you who will help you learn that imagination is essential to move forward.

We’ve included a few chapters from the flipbook

by Elena I; Annalisa B;

Have you listened to Harry Styles’ new album “Harry’s House” Yet? No?! You have to do that RIGHT NOW! 

Since it was released on 20 May 2022, it has become very famous because Harry hasn’t released any songs for 3 years and everyone has been waiting for his return to the music industry. In fact, we were very surprised but also excited, when he announced the release date.

Hope you liked it!

P.S.

Write us comments of what you think about it: What was your first impression when you listened to it?, What’s the song you liked more and the one you liked less?

Written by: Alessandra Gitto, Idaclizia Caruso, Giulia Villari IIAL

A film that we’ve seen recently is “Along for the Ride”directed by Sofia Alvarez.  It came out on Netflix on the 6th of May 2022 and it is based on the novel by the same name by Sarah Dessen.

Emma Pasarow, stars as the main character, Auden, and Belmot Cameli, plays Eli. There’s no antagonist, but Auden and Eli have to overcome some personal issues and frightening situations.

The film is pretty good and it is about some social issues that are absolutely contemporary, like kids suffering from the divorce of their parents. It’s dramatic and romantic, but also is an adventure film. The story is about Auden who is born in a rich family, but she isn’t happy because she has never had the opportunity to do everything that a teenager normally does (like learn how to ride a bike). She decided to move out of her hometown to have new experiences, make new friends and also change some bad things about her character. Who will she meet there? What will she do? Will she change her life?

We two found this film gripping and very romantic at the beginning, but the end was a little disappointing- we expected something more. In the film there are nice scenes and the places where they filmed it are amazing. The characters are all kind, apart from some exceptions who are a little vain. Anita says: “My absolutely favorite character is Maggie, but you’ ll understand why when you watch the film; I don’t wanna spoil it !!” The plot is interesting and we recommend it for all the people, but in particular for the teenagers.

In conclusion our personal opinions;  Rebecca says: “I think that everybody sometimes needs a break from their normal life and do something new”. Anita says: “You must be very brave to completely change your life in a summer, so I admire Auden.”

That’s all for today, please comment or ask any questions if you like!

By Anita and Rebecca

Did you know that there’s a new Netflix series called Di4ri?

It came out on the 18th May on Netflix.   The director is Alessandro Celli and the series is set on Ischia Island. The main characters are eight teenagers who attend Marina Piccola middle school: Pietro, Giulio, Livia, Isabel, Monica, Daniele, Mirko and Arianna. In each episode, fifteen in total, the story is seen from the point of view of a different character.

All these guys are from class 2D and they make friends only when they find out that their school will close and that next year, they will have to go to Marina Grande school and will be in different classes .Di4ri is educative because it’s about teenage problems like the first period for girls, the first kiss, self-acceptance and  understanding  what they want to be in life.

If you’re a fan of meaningful teenage series,  this  is for you! We recommend Di4ri for adults too, in particular for parents because it’s also about how their children feel when parents fight, when there are differences  in the family, or in general how teenagers feel during adolescence.

Authors: Chiara, Sara and Antonella(1AL Linguistico)