Macaluso Sisters (Le Sorelle Macaluso)

The Macaluso Sisters” recounts a very simple story (probably a true one although Emma Dante doesn’t confirm it). It is about a family whose tragedy has become part and parcel of the day-by-day existence (…) Such is Emma Dante’s theatre: with the help of brilliant actresses who strictly speaking are not actresses and in the absence of the traditional scenic instruments she manages to convincingly convey one of the
principle senses, i.e. the sense of living.

Are Macaluso sisters a clan of women fr om Sicily? They are more like the illtempered city girls from the movie “Brutti, Sporche e Cattivi” (“Disgusting, Dirty and Mean”). Katya, Pinuccia, Lia, Antonella, Maria and Gina are laughing, fighting and uttering profanities. A foul pet in the absence of love, and limping old spinster…
Each of them reveals herself in various situations and conversations. Emma Dante swamps us into a genuine Sicilian sisterhood wh ere family ties come first, traditions are still cultivated and people are constrained by religion <…> 
The lethal hike, the strokes of fate, the ghastly childhood… - all these are seething on stage. Like in the Greek tragedy the chorus of women tells us about the greatness and misery of human existence. Almost all through the play the actresses are lining up facing the audience. And we sense their pulsations. Their bodies tell us whetherthey accept the crooks in their lots or enjoy living. We are in close contact, lacking any adornments or effects. Their dance is elevating. Such a rich acting is quite rarely found in modern theatre.