EURIPIDES’ HECUBA is hosted at 9.30 pm on Wednesday 26 July by the International Festival of Patras on the stage of the Municipal Summer Theater in Ritsou Street, directed by Io Voulgarakis, translated by Eleni Varopoulou, set-costumes by Magdalena Avgerinos, music by Nikos Galelianos and choreographed by Chara Kotsali.

The tragedy “Hecuba” is believed to have first been performed” in 424 BC – when the Athenian society has not yet recovered and taken over not only from the constant war, but also, above all, from the two periods of pestilence that exhausted biologically and, even worse, morally the Athenian citizens. Who see now,live on stage, -as a personification of the sufferings of war, the once haughty queen of Troy, Hecuba, being a slave on a coast of Thrace, where the tragedy of the same name takes place. There she will experience the death of two more of her children: Polyxena, first, whom the Achaeans sacrifice to propitiate the soul of Achilles. And, secondly, of Polydorus, whom Priam had, a small child when the Trojan war began, entrusted with much gold to the friend of the Thracian king Polymestor.

Hecuba, in her unspeakable pain, plans and with the tolerance of Agamemnon executes her horrible revenge. She traps Polymestor and his young children. Hecuba kills the children first and then blinds Polymestor, leaving him to live.

In this first – and particularly hard for the Athenians – period of the Peloponnesian War (431-420 BC) Euripides attempts to record and show his fellow citizens – and all Greeks – the dehumanization of Man that can be caused by war.

Cast

In alphabetical order: Iosif Iosifidis (Talthybius), Marina Kalogirou (Polyxena), Eleni Kokkidou (Hecuba), Thanassis Kourlampas (Odysseus), Errikos Miliaris (Ghost of Polydorus), Illeana Balla (Maid), Akis Sakellariou (Polymestor), Alecos Syssovitis (Agamemnon)

Ticket Prices : General Entrance 20.00€ – Reduced prices for people with disabilities, students, anemployed 17.00€ .

Pre-Bookings: Patras Municipal and Regional Theatre, Book Corner, DISCOVER BOOKSTORE, JOE RECORDS Record Store, (Karaiskaki 134, Patras, tel. 2610.620.673), – RODOPOULOS Bookstore (Corinthou 274, Patras, tel. 2610.273.287)