La clemenza di Tito

The theme of the production is power and loneliness. At the center stands a ruler who cannot be defined—torn between duty and love. Tito is one of the greatest warmongers in history; he is the Roman ruler who destroyed Jerusalem to the point that only the Western Wall remains. When he returns to Rome after this brutal war, he decides to change and to be virtuous and merciful. However, this does not happen with a magic wand; instead, it turns into a dictatorship of goodness. He feels comfortable but fails to notice that he is leading everyone else into disaster. All the characters are fated to be connected to one another, and it is very difficult for anyone to free themselves from this dependency.

—Vera Nemirova, Director