ROME (Reuters) - Rome’s Circus Maximus, once home to ancient chariot races, is preparing for a new season as an opera house as the coronavirus pandemic has forced organisers to seek huge venues that allow for social distancing. “The Circus Maximus is transformed from a circus to a theatre, an opera house in this case,” Rome’s Opera House technical director, Francesco Arena, told Reuters. Temperature checks, widely spaced seating and an especially large stage, are intended to provide security for both opera goers and performers. “We tried to transform the limits of interpersonal distance into new forms of representation with great use of technologies that allow us to bring the artists closer to each other and the artists closer to the spectators,” said Carlo Fuortes, superintendent of Rome’s Opera Theatre. But it will be a very different atmosphere from the rowdy crowds cheering on their favourite charioteers in ancient times.

Source: Egypt Today July 13, 2020 12:00 UTC