The musical “The Reawakening of the Gods” is the core and engine of an international collaboration between Montclair State University (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, Musical Theatre Program, the Cali School of Music) and Savatteri Produzioni, a musical theater company based in Italy (Agrigento, Sicily), including workshops, internships, meetings, performances and classes,
Video: Footage and editing by Colin Keyes
Written and directed by Maestro Marco Savatteri, “The Reawakening of the Gods” is a unique show that celebrates the timelessness of Greek mythology and its tensions (peace/war, love/hatred, generosity/selfishness, tragedy/comedy, gravitas/lightness). Through a lyrical and incisive script that combines acting and singing, and through magical make up, costumes, masks and head pieces, this musical is at once a pleasantly accessible introduction to Greek gods and goddesses and a deep reflection on their powerful topicality in our world. Designed to be presented with an immersive format (ancient theaters, archeological sites, etc.), “The Reawakening” has actually proven to be adaptable to different environments and formats as a collage of dynamic vignettes with short parts, and, as such, an ideal context for pluri-disciplinary educational projects as well as for the inclusion of new performers in the productions.
The collaboration is a multi-semester initiative that has has included and will unfold through various phases:
- Spring 2025 workshop and auditions for the 2025 Summer internship in Agrigento (Italian region of Sicily)
Two students were selected from Montclair State University: Brianna Coppolino (Cali School of Music) and Mia Grizzuti (Musical Theatre) - Summer 2025 paid internship entailing the performance in the musical in Sicily (Valley of the Temples of Agrigento)
A total of three students participated (a third student joined after graduation, independently from the scholarship-supported program: Emma Mason (Cali School of Music). The experience included student performances in other shows presented by the Savatteri Produzioni (see last part of the video above).
Photo by Elena Di Battista: Prof. McCann, Brianna Coppollino, Emma Mason, Mia Grizzuti, Teresa Fiore, and Marco Savatteri (from the left) - Fall 2025 attendance of Italian Translation class (Montclair State University)
Brianna Coppolino under the supervision of Prof. Marisa Trubiano completes the full translation of the script characterized by complex rhymes and literary quotations - Fall 2025 Illustration of Summer 2025 experience with director Marco Savatteri and singer Toti Maria Geraci, including a short performance of excerpts from the script translated into English.
- Spring 2026 Public Reading in English at the end of a week of rehearsals (upcoming on March 27), followed by a short discussion of the translation process
- Summer 2026 paid internship (upcoming audition March 2025)
This inter-college international program is coordinated by Prof. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies) in collaboration with Prof. Lori McCaan (Cali School of Music) and Prof. Ryan Kasprzak (Musical Theatre Program).
Sponsored by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies (Italian program, WLC Department) with partial support from the Cali School of Music and the Musical Theatre Program at Montclair State University, as well as Savatteri Produzioni for the Agrigento-based portions of the project.
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For info, contact fiorete@montclair.edu
For a short link: tinyurl.com/RisveglioMontclairAgrigento