After the success of the 2025 edition, we are pleased to announce that the international internship in the Italian musical theater company Savatteri Produzioni will be offered again in 2026. Montclair State University students will be given the chance to be part of a unique musical production (Il Risveglio degli dei – The Reawakening of the Gods) inspired by Greek mythology and set in the magical Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily at dawn. Students will be fully involved in the activities of the company (rehearsals, targeted classes, site visits, social gatherings) and be given the chance to be part of other productions depending on the 2026 summer calendar. At the same time, this will constitute a full cultural and language immersion in a welcoming mid-size town where the students will become “locals” in a short period of time by enjoying the art, history, landscape, and food of the area.
To read about the impact of this enriching experience from a professional and personal point of view, see the 2025 recap with photos and video.
The internship is open to students of Voice and Musical Theatre who have a working knowledge of Italian and have taken and/or will take Italian classes at Montclair State University. Students graduating by May 2026 will not be eligible to apply. This paid internship opportunity, jointly designed by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies (WLC Dept.), the Cali School of Music, the Musical Theatre Program, and Savatteri Produzioni, is supported by the Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies for travel and Savatteri Produzioni for housing and compensation fees.
Additionally, the Musical Theatre Program will include a Reading of Il Risveglio degli dei in English in Spring 2026, which represents a great occasion for students planning to apply for the internship to hone their performing skills in a targeted way. To be presented on the Montclair State University campus, the Reading will be the culmination of a four-day masterclass taught by Marco Savatteri (March 23-27) for which students will audition in late 2025 or early 2026 (details TBA). Meanwhile, the musical’s script is being translated in an Italian Translation class attended by two interns from the 2025 edition and taught by Prof. Marisa Trubiano (WLC Dept.).
If you are interested in learning more about this international interdisciplinary opportunity and meeting the company director Marco Savatteri as well as one of the company’s actors, Toti Maria Geraci, join us for presentations, a master class, and a workshop on campus this October.
PRESENTATION with short performance by actors of Il Risveglio degli dei:
Friday October 10, 2025 6-7pm (Bloomfield College Campus, Westminster 110)
Monday October 13, 2025 Time: 1-1:30pm (G-55 Choir Room, Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music)
Monday October 13, 2025 Time: 2-2:30pm (G-55 Choir Room, Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music)
* Note that both presentations will have the same content and format: it’s not necessary to attend both
MASTERCLASS and presentation
Monday October 13 11am-1pm (G33, Chapin Hall, Cali School of Music)
WORKSHOP and presentation with a short performance by actors of Il Risveglio degli dei:
Tuesday Oct. 14 9:45-11am (Life Hall Studio325)
The workshop, which also includes a presentation of the internship and a short performance by actors of Il Risveglio, is an introduction to ancient Greek mythology and how it is translated into a contemporary site-specific production (an archeological and natural park at dawn). Participants will learn a choreography from the show Il Risveglio degli Dei / The Reawakening of the Gods that embraces dance, singing and acting. The workshop will be of great benefit to those who intend to apply for the reading in Spring 2026 and the internship in Summer 2026, but is open to any interested student. In view of the workshop, please prepare an Italian aria or excerpt from an Italian song that you deem representative of your vocal skills, accompanied by dancing and acting, if possible. Also, choose a character from Greek mythology that reflects your personality or that you are fascinated by.
For more information, please reach out to Dr. Lori McCann.
Montclair State University students who participated in the first edition of this international internship in 2025.
Read about:
ll Risveglio degli Dei / The Reawakening of the Gods is a dream-like voyage into the world of ancient Greek mythology. The stories being told take place in a time of fantasy that never existed – yet these tales were told 2600 years ago and have survived until today. In the show, the Gods of Olympus re-awake and reveal themselves to the eyes of the spectators. The show was conceived to be performed in real archeological sites, ancient theaters, palaces, and museums, allowing the audience to experience these places in a new and inspiring way.
The company of Il Risveglio degli Dei / The Reawakening of the Gods is made up of dancers, actors, and singers from different parts of Italy who will rehearse in Agrigento starting in early June 2026 all the way to the beginning of the summer season (show dates are in July and August). The selected student/s will receive financial support for the airfare and housing, and a small stipend depending on the number of shows they will perform in.
Marco Savatteri is a musical theater playwright, director, and composer. Originally from Agrigento, he holds a a degree in Modern Literature from La Sapienza University in Rome. In his native Sicilian town, he is the founder of the school La Casa del Musical, the Artistic Director of Savatteri Produzioni and the coordinator of Innovative Productions at the Pirandello Theater. Inspired by the cultural heritage of Sicily and the Mediterranean, his site-specific and immersive shows have been presented throughout Italy and abroad with a diverse team of professional performers. The Reawakening of the Gods (2017) was presented in major archeological sites (Agrigento, Taormina Arte, Catania, Siracusa, and Selinunte); White Shirts (2017, about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire) was presented in Germany, Brazil, the U.S. and the prestigious Teatro San Babila in Milan in the fall 2024; while Caravaggio: The Flight (2022) toured Italian theaters for two seasons. In 2025 he was invited to direct an opera for the first time: Cavalleria Rusticana was presented at the prestigious Teatro Antico of Taormina. See website and IG profile for more information.
The students who were part of the 2025 edition of the internships will be present at some of events this October.