The Ministry of Culture announces, following the completion of the work of the three Committees, the awards for the 2024 State Awards for Playwriting.

In detail, the awards are as follows:

State Award for Playwriting

The award is unanimously awarded jointly to two plays:

A) “ZOOULA” by Athanasios Serfas, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Tony Soprano,” with the following rationale:

An original play that presents human life in 22 images, composing a well-structured, unified dramatic arc. The play stands out for its theatrical economy and narrative speed, its shifts in atmosphere, its well-written dialogues, and its elliptical style, which gives it poetic overtones. Particularly interesting/noteworthy is the development of the problematic concerning the critical existential questions of the modern era.

B) “CARDIA APO VAMVAKI” (Heart of Cotton) by Fivos Botsis, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “MILOU” with the following rationale:

Two exceptionally sensitive parallel monologues that highlight the issues of fatherhood and loss with immediacy and tenderness. The work develops with clear axes, an internal escalating rhythm, and moments of poetic intensity. With dramatic intensity and direct, simple but highly expressive use of language that shows maturity in writing.

The cash prize for this award is seven thousand (7,000) euros.

The Committee also unanimously decided to award three Commendations to the following works:

A) “Nychotepatoula” (Moth) by Trisevgeni Adamopoulou, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Edith Mopth,” with the following rationale: A poetic text with dazzling language and exceptional surprises. Its dominant qualities are its creeping tenderness in the face of harsh meteorological phenomena and the creation of an extremely powerful dramatic character.

B) “L’Appel Du Vide” by Despoina Apostolidou, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “X. Anastasiadis,” with the following reasoning:

A highly allegorical work with a touch of irony, it deals with a deeply existential theme in an unusual way. It stands out for its apt dramatic development and the bold issues it raises.

C) “HERE IN NOWHERE” by Konstantinos Matsoukas, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “FARMAKOS,” with the following reasoning:

A very interesting topic highlighted by the author with his gentle, simple, low-key but solid handling. Clever dramaturgy, which follows clear acting lines.

A total of 73 works were submitted to the competition.

The State Award Committee for Playwriting consisted of:

Nikolaos Diamantis, Director, as Chairman, and members:

Dr. Amalia Kontogianni, Theater Scholar, Head of the Artistic Work & Drama Department at the State Theater of Northern Greece,

Penelope (Peggy) Stathakopoulou, Actress,

Andreas Flourakis, Playwright,

Dr. Irini Moundraki, Theater Scholar-Critic, Head of Dramaturgy, Library, Archives, and International Relations at the National Theater,

State Award for Children’s Theater Playwriting

The award is unanimously awarded to:

To the play “#Our Balcony” by Angeliki Darlasi, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Theodoros Dylan,” with the following reasoning:

The play is a remarkable contribution to contemporary children’s and adolescent drama, combining elements of realism with distinct poetic and symbolic references. The choice of poetic language at key moments reinforces the symbolic dimension of the narrative without altering the realistic core of the work. The author explores issues of self-awareness and intergenerational communication. The structure of the work is solid, there is a clear dramatic economy, and the dialogues maintain theatrical oral expression. The stage action gradually transforms into a field of exchange of experiences and values, where theater functions as a vehicle for highlighting and cultivating empathy. The Balcony highlights the potential of theater to cultivate empathy and reflection, constituting a multi-layered and pedagogically apt text, with scenic flexibility, which makes it immediately performable by two or more actors, depending on the production.

The cash prize for this award is five thousand (5,000) euros.

The Committee also unanimously decided to award two Commendations in a symbolic effort to encourage participation in the competition, to two works on ancient themes which, although closely related to a more “school-oriented” approach to theater for young audiences, are undoubtedly dramatic in form and have theatrical merit:

A) “Iliodyssey (The Complete Homer in One Performance)” by Konstantinos Kyriakou, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Achthos Arouris,” with the following rationale:

This is a work that draws on the material of the Homeric epics. It is the equivalent of “All of Shakespeare in One Hour,” combining the Iliad and the Odyssey in an imaginative way, with dramatic and scenic economy (5 actors, clear stage directions) and a remarkable treatment of a wide range of thematic material for theatrical and theater education use.

B) “The Medallion of Hercules” by Dimitrios Laloumis, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “EGO,” with the following reasoning:

This is a remarkable work with a theme drawn from ancient mythology and effective use of this material. It has theatrical merits (detailed and clear stage directions, clever dialogue) that could be highlighted by a possible directorial approach more suited to the musical theater genre, as there are also songs with original lyrics.

A total of 28 works were submitted to the competition.

The State Award Committee for Children’s Theater Playwriting consisted of:

Panagiotis (Takis) Tzamargias, Director – Actor, Educator, member of the Special Educational Staff of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as Chairman, and the following members:

Eduardo-Dimitrios Georgiou, Actor, Set Designer – Architect,

Maria Dimaki-Zora, Associate Professor of Theater Studies at the Department of Primary Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with a specialization in “Theater Studies: Modern Greek Drama and Culture” and Advisor – Professor at the Hellenic Open University, in the postgraduate program “Creative Writing,”

Dimitra-Victoria (Mika) Panagou, Playwright – Set Designer,

Dr. Konstantinos Bouras, Theater Scholar, Translator, Theater Critic

Chrysa Spilioti State Award for Young Playwrights

The award is unanimously awarded to:

The play “Citrus” by Eleni Michaila Sfetsiori, which was submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “Winnie Pooh”, with the following reasoning:

Beyond its obvious literary merits, “Kítro” has natural dialogue and something unpretentious: the dramatic moment in which these young people find themselves does not make them speak unnaturally or focus on the significance of this historic evening. Their conversation is exactly what one would expect from two students of their age. They meet, flirt discreetly, and forget for a moment where they are and why. It would be difficult to believe that a work with this theme could be original. And yet…

The cash prize for this award is five thousand (5,000) euros.

In addition, the Committee, in order to encourage the authors whose works were judged to be the best, unanimously decided to award a Commendation to the work:

“The Legion” by Ioannis Diamantis, submitted to the competition under the pseudonym “…Paris Skiadas,” with the following rationale:

It has a groundbreaking form, clever twists, and an unexpected ending.

A total of 50 works were submitted to the competition.

The “Chrysa Spilioti” State Award Committee for Young Playwrights, consisting of:

Anastasios (Tassos) Pyrgiotis, Actor, Director, as Chairman, and members:

Konstantinos Magnis, Journalist, Writer,

Panagiota (Giota) Panagi, Director and Playwright,

Maria (Mary) Sidi, Philologist, Educator, and Writer,

Voudiklaris Georgios, Theater and Dance Critic