The Qur'an, Islam's Holy Book, can be appreciated in many ways, among them its masterful Arabic poetry, as director/adapter Cherif shows. Three Qur'an reciters - Hala Omran, Mohamed Zitouni, El Sayed Abdallah Sadek - nicely exploited the aural appeal of the chanted text. Appropriately enough for this novice audience, they utilized a rather simple reciting style that contrasted with the more rhetorical approach by nine players. These latter offered what amounted to a series of dramatically-tinged monologues, incorporating Italian translations from the Qur'anic Arabic and excerpts from such authors as Genet, Koltes, Pasolini, Gindron and Terni.
Contrast between the Old-Testament austerity of Qur'an and modern authors was heightened by Italian-style declamation and dramatic gesturing by the actors. Intriguing discontinuities in the sequence of texts rightfully kept the emphasis on word rather than on style. Other production elements also favored the verbal side, including Paolo Terni's unobtrusive music design, Cabiria D'agostino's modest costumes and Mario Feliciangeli's suggestive lighting scheme.
While purists might have objected to Cherif's orientalism, the director was able to bring Arabic eloquence and Muslim traditions into a familiar context for the appreciative Italian audience. Compliments to Teatro Argentina/Teatro di Roma's head Mario Martone for offering this opportunity for dialogue between the northern and southern sides of the Mediterranean. Sadly, Italy has witnessed numerous incidents of Islamophobia during the past few years, particularly among Catholic leaders in the North. Efforts like Cherif's Il corano may help reverse this disturbing trend.
