Program August 30 – September 5 | Theatre, music, dance, visual arts and musical theatre events

*** The performances scheduled for September 2 to 4 are postponed, due to the 3 days of national mourning for Mikis Theodorakis

Thessaloniki has fallen | Theatre

September 1 & 2 // Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki // at 20:00

Drawing freely material from The Chronicles of the Falls of Thessaloniki (Agra, Athens 2010) the play dramatizes selected excerpts from the personal autobiographical historical narratives of the priests Ioannis Kaminiatis and Ioannis Anagnostis. They witnessed, with different degrees of involvement, the fall of Thessaloniki in 904 AD to Saracen pirates and the fall of 1430 AD to the Turks of Murat respectively, and they both sought refuge in writing.

The play dramatizes the embodiment of the horrors of war, highlights the tragic theatricality of the historical narrative, and approaches with an anthropological interest the theme of violence in history.

Dramatic adaptation – Direction: Roula Pateraki
Set design of the archeological site: Roula Pateraki – Marilena Kalaitzantonaki
Costumes: Marilena Kalaitzantonaki
Lighting: Roula Pateraki
Actors: Thanasis Dovris, Dimitra Hatoupi, Nadia Mourouzi, Evanthia Kourmouli
Dancer: Betty Dramisioti
CNPC (Civil Non-Profit Company): The Gray-blue gap and meta-Theatre

Among the ruins of the Free Besieged | Theater

September 1 & 2 // Ancient Theater of Philippi // 20:30

The show participates in the 64th Philippi Festival.

A wandering within Dionysios Solomos’ text, a musical work in the space between song and silence. The Free Besieged, a poetic masterpiece full of cracks from where the poet’s soul springs and leads us to the essentials of existence. The threshing floor, the butterfly, the worm, the mother, the warrior, the love for life, the need for freedom. The small place, the small movement, the personal attitude signify our passage, they praise the ephemeral, they shape the whole.

Text: Dionysios Solomos – The Free besieged
Drama editing – Direction: Rinio Kyriazi
Scientific advisor: Stefanos Rozanis
Original musical composition – Musician on stage: Nikos Veliotis
Movement: Alkistis Polychroni
Lighting: Stevi Koutsothanasi
Actors: Irini Koumbarouli, Michalis Koutskoudis, Rinio Kyriazi
CNPC: Alki

Six | Musical Theater

September 1 & 2 // Ancient Messina, Messinia //  19:00

The play is based on 19^th century songs associated with folk customs that follow the annual holiday cycle and the path of women toward adulthood, as depicted in folk tradition.

This is a series of vocal works by Martha Mavroidi, using traditional songs as a basis and building on them through a processing of the lyrics, melodies and motifs, creating a new musical texture. The works assimilate melodic and poetic material from traditional monophonic songs, creating a polyphony inspired by the locality of traditional music, in combination with modern harmony.

Artistic direction: Marina Satti
Dramatization: Giannis Panagopoulos
Composition – Music editing: Martha Mavroidi
Music teaching – direction: Irini Patsea
Choreography: Sofia Konstantinidou
Costumes: Marilena Kalaitzantonaki
Sound recording: Giannis Damianos
Performers:
Giasemi (‘Jasmine’) vocal quartet: Irini Derebei, Maria Melachrinou, Martha Mavroidi, Tasos Poulios
CHÓRES female vocal ensemble: Despina Georga, Matina Gleni, Anastasia Evdaimon, Eleonora Zacharia, Natalia Katsimani, Chryssa Kleisiari, Irini Masali, Evelina Megalokonomou, Dafni Pagoupatou, Emily Kaizi, Emily
CNPC: Womo

En Route (‘KATHOdON’) | Dance

September 1 & 2 // Mystras, Archaeological site // 19:00

The myth of the lotus eaters and its connection with the present day. A story that unfolds, blurring the lines between myth and modern reality, and seeks the wisdom and knowledge it carries as a legacy- as an answer to the great existential question posed by Socrates: “Who are you?”

The Quo Vadis dance group combines the visual fields of contemporary dance and music; three choreographers-performers and a composer-musician try to awaken an identification and relatability of heroes past with the audience of the present.

Idea – Screenplay: Zafiria Tsirakaki, Giannis Polyzos
Choreography: Giannis Polyzos
Drama editing: Zafiria Tsirakaki, Giannis Polyzos
Music composition – Sound design: Vassilis Georgakopoulos
Costumes: Panos Thanos
Performers: Stella Mavroidi, Zafiria Tsirakaki, Christos Sta Maria, Vassilis Georgakopoulos
AMKE: Quo Vadis

Spanos | Theater

September 2 & 3 // Ancient Theater of Dodoni, Ioannina // 21:00

The play is based on the leading Byzantine work entitled Service for the unholy goat-bearded beardless man (‘spanos’). It is a late Byzantine satire in the form of a church service. The play is a poetic reflection on loneliness, on the vulnerable and fragile self, on the different person who is considered “abnormal” and is collectively stigmatized.

Conception – Text – Direction: Iosif Vivilakis
Music: Gerasimos Papadopoulos
Set design – Costumes: Konstantinos Zamanis
Figures: Nikolas Tzivelekis
Lighting: Valentina Tamiolaki
Movement: Korina Kokkali
Sound: Alexandros Papaefthymiou
Performers: Stefania Goulioti, Athos Danellis, Nikos Tzivelekis, Katerina Michalaki
Leader of the chorus: Achilleas Chaldaiakis
Chorus members: Dimitris Miliotis, Giannis Plevritis, Haris Trasanis, Nikos Chaldaiakis
Musicians on stage: Gerasimos Papadopoulos (oud, vocals), Alexandra Papastergiopoulou (percussion, cello, vocals), Theologos Papanikolaou (violin, vocals), Iliana Filea (accordion, tsambouna)
CNPC: Othonion

The sarcophagus | Music

September 3 & 4 // Neo Flogita Stock Complex, Halkidiki // 20:30

A lone walker, during his night wanderings in the city, meets a sarcophagus and finds that it has become the love refuge of a young couple. In the text of Giorgos Ioannou, the ancient monument, inhabited unexpectedly by a pulsating present, ignites in the narrator a poetic fantasy where love and death, myth and history, the modern city and its past are intertwined. This is what this play attempt to bring to life, combining Giorgos Ioannou’s text with excerpts from other great texts and with original compositions for saxophone by the leading minimalist Philip Glass.

Idea: Theofilos Sotiriadis, Melina Garbi
Director: Melina Garbi
Music curation: Theofilos Sotiriadis
Lighting, set design, costumes: Sofia Tsirigoti
Sound recording: George Vassilas
Actors: Alexandros Vozinidis, Melina Garbi

Alkman Saxophone Quartet: Christos Zenios (soprano saxophone), George Daravelis (alto saxophone), Theofilos Sotiriadis (tenor saxophone), Giannis Myralis (baritone saxophone)
CNPC: BE ARTIVE

Achilles | Theater

September 4 // Ancient Theatre of Gitana, Thesprotia // 18:30

Bijoux de kant meets the heroic drama of Athanasios Christopoulos Achilles (1804), in order to explore the notion of Hellenism through the myth of Achilles’ rage against Agamemnon. The behavior of the former on the one hand and the pride and selfishness of the latter on the other, endanger the forces of the Greek army and the successful outcome of the Trojan War until their coveted reconciliation.

Bijoux de kant approaches the heroic drama through a bittersweet feeling but also through a comedic lens, touching on some of the most basic issues of modern Greek history.

Directed by: Giannis Skourletis
Drama editing: George Papadakis
Set design – Costumes – Lighting: Konstantinos Skourletis
Text additions: Glykeria Basdeki
Actors: Thanasis Vlavianos, Thanasis Dimou, Thanasis Dovris, Vassilis Ziakas, Kostas Koutsolelos, Flomaria Papadaki
CNPC: bijoux de kant

Home education for young girls | Theater

September 4 & 5 // Ancient Kassopi (Ancient Agora), Preveza // time 19:00

Stories of Greek women from antiquity until today who resisted the traditional role of the submissive wife and won. Stories of Greek women who tried to resist and were silenced. Women who struggle every day to prove their gender’s adequacy. Moments from the eternal struggle for women’s emancipation. From the lessons of home economics and popular culture that shaped and maintained the degraded position of women in the collective unconscious, to Kallirroi Parren and Avra ​​Theodoropoulou who laid the foundations of feminism in our country.

Directed by: Haris Kremmidas, Thanasis Zeritis
Drama: Nefeli Maistrali, Thanasis Zeritis, Haris Kremmidas
Texts-Editing: Nefeli Maistrali
Set design-Costumes: Georgia Bourda
Musical composition-Editing: Stavros Giannouladis
Movement: Panos Topsidis
Music teaching: Evangelia Karakatsani
Performers: Eleni Koutsiouba, Amalia Ninou, Aristea Stafylaraki
CNPC: 4 Frontal

Three fighters of freedom through the music of Mikis Theodorakis: Giannis Ritsos, Tassos Livaditis and Manolis Anagnostakis | Music

September 4 & 5 // Ancient Theater of Philippi, Kavala // 20:30

The concert participates in the 64th Philippi Festival.

A program with the Independent Folk Orchestra “Mikis Theodorakis”, with songs by music by Theodorakis and poetry by Giannis Ritsos, Tasos Livaditis and Manolis Anagnostakis. Songs of resistance, uprising, melodic songs, lyrical, erotic, songs for a spring that never came but also for the “golden states that open before us, bathed in truth and light”.

The songs are performed by Dimitris Bassis, Rita Antonopoulou, Savveria Margiola and Panagiotis Petrakis.

“Mikis Theodorakis” Folk Orchestra: Thanassis Vasilas (bouzouki, top), Giannis Matsoukas (bouzouki), Dimitris Andreadis (piano), Xenophon Symvoulidis (wind instruments), Nikos Giolias (guitar), Artemis Samaras (viola), Lefteris Grivas (accordion), Theodoros Kouelis (bass), Nikos Skomopoulos (drums), Stefanos Theodorakis – Papaggelidis (percussion)
Sound recording: Michalis Alexakis, Sakis Karasarinis
Music curation: Thanasis Vassilas
Artistic director: Margarita Theodoraki
CNPC: “Mikis Theodorakis” Folk Orchestra

The voice of the Bacchae | Theater

September 5 & ​​6 // Ancient Theater of Mieza, Imathia // 21:00

A show that combines contemporary experimental music with musical theater. With the constant use of indefinite voices, the musicians of the show reveal the human voice as a primitive means of non-linguistic communication, creating a sense of primordial ritual. The brutality of voices and instruments are sound events that define violence, as it unfolds through the work of Euripides: between Pentheus and Dionysus, between the opposing forces of human nature, between tradition and the ferocious desire for the new.

Ergon Ensemble: Kostas Tzekos – bass / clarinet, Spyros Laskaridis – trumpet, Andreas Rolandos Theodorou – trombone
Song: Christos Kechris
Composition: Ioannis Angelakis
Directed by: George Koutlis
Sets-Costumes: Artemis Flessa
Lighting: George Agiannitis
Sound recording: Thanos Bikos
CNPC: Ergon Ensemble

Information

The events are offered free of charge by the Ministry of Culture and Sports. Reservations are mandatory.
Detailed information, program and reservations on the website: https://digitalculture.gov.gr/
The use of non-medical masks is mandatory. For safety reasons and to avoid delays and overcrowding, it is recommended to arrive early (1-1.5 hour).