On the 15th of February, our Secondary students who take Latin, enjoyed one the great reference classics, Casina, written by Plautus. The work was performed by the Alezeia Group at the Paraninfo in the Complutense University. It was part of the Madrid-Leneo Greco Roman Theatre Festival organised by the CRETA Foundation (Centre for Ancient Theatre Performance and Studies).
The Festivals which are organised by this Foundation have a clear educational objective. First of all, they send the text transcript of the work to the teachers and students; and with prior readings and study, there is a greater benefit and understanding of the work and the classics on the part of the students.
Casina, which is the comedy of the senses par excelence, is one of Plautus' mature works and was written around 200 b.c. It tells the story of a father and a son who have a confrontation over the love of the same slave. It is known for its twists in the language, its dramatic and comical scenes and the liveliness of the action. Casina develops one of Plautus' favourite themes and brings to life the prototype character which is so essential in the subsequent Universal Comedy: “the dirty old man” who faced with adversity, exercises his ingenuity to satisy his love.
A really fun and practical way to get closer to the classics and to history!