“God-fearing and just” but poor, Chremylos the farmer is surrounded by unscrupulous, sacrilegious men, corrupt politicians and sycophants intent on enriching themselves in an Athens ravaged by war. In Aristophanes’ final play (338 BC) the only way out lies in a utopia: a world in which Plutus, the demigod of wealth – whom Zeus had blinded in his youth so he could avoid the just, the wise and the honourable when handing out his bounty – is given back his sight!
Diagoras Chronopoulos and the distinguished actors of the Art Theatre, underscore the role of the goddess Penury in this satirical take on the poverty of our times

Translation: Yiannis Varveris
Direction: Diagoras Chronopoulos
Set & Costume Design: Paris Mexis
Music: Christos Leontis
Choreography: Sophia Spyratou
Lighting Design: Lefteris Pavlopoulos
Music Coach: Marina Chronopoulou
Assistant Directors: Thodoris Antoniades, Antzelika Kapsabeli, Evi Kalogiropoulou

Cast:
Poverty: Katia Gerou
Wealth: Dimitris Lignadis
Chremylus: Alexandros Mylonas
Cario: Mania Papadimitriou
A Just Man: Kostas Kapelonis
Blepsidemus: Kostas Velentzas
Wife of Chremylos: Anastasia Georgopoulou
An Informer: Lefteris Loukadis
An old woman: Vasilis Lemperos
A youth: Alexandros Perros
Hermes: Thodoris Antoniadis
A priest of Zeus: Kostas Velentzas

Chorus:
Kostas Velantzas, Thodoris Antoniadis, Ileanna Balla, Maria Komi-Papagiannakki, Anastasia Georgopoulou, Alexandros Perros, Panagos Ioakeim,  Venia Stamatiadi, Nikos-Orestis Chaniotakis, Orfeas Chatzidimitriou, Thaleia Griva, Paris Thomopoulos, Gerasimos Skafidas

Co-production:  Municipal Regional  Theatre of Volos – Diagoras Chronopoulos

source: greek festival.gr

13 & 14 August 2010, 21:00 

 Epidaurus Ancient Theatre

The ancient theatre of Epidaurus may prove an ideal venue for Othello (1604), a play that has been described as “Man’s tragedy enacted beneath an empty sky”.
Thomas Ostermeier, director of the celebrated Schaubühne, tackles the tale of Othello, Desdemona and the diabolical puppeteer, Iago, frantically yanking the strings of passion and base instinct. Focusing on aspects of human behaviour—on male rivalry and ambition, on jealousy and social exclusion, on the paranoia of love and sexuality—he gives us an Othello for our times. 

Direction: Thomas Ostermeier
Sets: Jan Pappelbaum
Costumes: Nina Wetzel  Music: Nils Ostendorf
Video: Sebastien Dupouey
Lighting: Erich Schneider

In German with Greek surtitles.

World première.
Production: Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz
Co-produced by Athens & Epidaurus Festival

With the support of Goethe Institut

Erofili: “I would not declare Panaretos’ passion unbefitting of me, nor reject his treaties, as long as I shall live”
Erotokritos: “Have you heard the news,
your Lord and Master has exiled me to foreign parts?”

illustration of the unique manuscript of Erotokritos (1710)

(Library of the British Museum)

From Erophile, by the “learned and most noble gentleman Georgios Chortatzis of Crete”, to Erotocritus by his fellow countryman Vincenzo Cornaro, which imitated its style. After the end of the Erophile performance, the CHoROS Theatre Company is to hold a celebratory feast: dance, raki and food will accompany the performance of this famous fifteen-syllable-verse poem of the Cretan Renaissance. Anyone who would like to join in – be they a singer, story-teller or musician
– is most welcome.

Direction: Simos Kakalas
Dramaturgy: Margarita Krana
Special consultant – philologist: Natalia Deligiannaki
Set and costume design: Martha Foka
Movement:  Dimitris Sotiriou
Lighting design: Periklis Mathiellis
Production manager: Stella Teneketzi

With: Simos Kakalas, Dimitra Kouza, Elena Mavridou, Giannos Perlengas, Christos Sapountzis
Musicians: Kostis Kyritsakis, Christos Barbas, Giannis Papadopoulos, Charis Porfiridis

source: greek festival

31 July 2010, 21:30

Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre

Blame the oracles of Phoebus”. Tormented by guilt, Orestes lays the blame on Apollo, the god who pushed him into committing an unholy act: the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra.
Debunking the gods and mocking the demagogues, Euripides’ tragedy – written in 408 BC, half a century after Aeschylus’ take on the subject in his Oresteia – approaches Orestes’ matricide in the terms of a psychological drama, placing emphasis on the plot and the action.
Directed by Yiannis Houvardas and featuring an élite cast from the National Theatre of Greece, this interpretation of Euripides’ classic text promises to be both unconventional and contemporary.

Translation: Stratis Paschalis
Direction: Yiannis Houvardas
Sets & Costumes: Johannes Schütz
Lighting: Lefteris Pavlopoulos

With:
Electra: Stefania Goulioti
Helen: Tania Trypi
Orestes: Nikos Kouris
Menelaus: Akyllas Karazisis
Tyndareus: Christos Stergioglou
Pylades: Kostas Vasardanis
Messenger: Manolis Mavromatakis
Hermione: Dalara Georgiana
Phrygian Eunuch: Nikos Karathanos
Apollo: Giorgos Glastras

Chorus:
Lambrini Angelidou, Polyxeni Aklidi, Eleni Vergeti, Konstantinos Gavalas, Anna Kalaitzidou, Kora Karvouni, Yiannis Klinis, Rinio Kyriazi, Zoe Kyriakidou,  Iro Bezou, Lena Papaligoura, Virginia Tambaropoulou, Yorgos Tzavaras, Thanos Tokakis, Argyro Chioti.

source: greek festival

30 & 31 July 2010, 21:00

Epidaurus Ancient Theatre

Yet Erofili’s love led Panareton to love her so much [...] that, unbeknown to her father,

he set the preparations for their wedding in motion and slept with her. That would be the cause of great evil…”Simos Kakalas and the Choros theatre company continue to bring talent, daring and coherence to their experiments with traditional forms. Following on from Draft 1, which they took to villages around Crete, they return to Erofili, this tragic love story with anti-establishment undertones. An italian-influenced masterpiece in verse form, Erofili was written in Rethymnon circa 1595.

Direction: Simos Kakalas
Dramaturgy: Margarita Krana
Special consultant – philologist: Natalia Deligiannaki
Set and costume design: Martha Foka
Movement:  Dimitris Sotiriou
Lighting design: Periklis Mathiellis

With: Simos Kakalas, Dimitra Kouza, Elena Mavridou, Giannos Perlengas, Christos Sapountzis
Musicians: Kostis Kyritsakis, Christos Barbas, Giannis Papadopoulos, Charis Porfiridis

30 July 2010, 21:30

Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre

source: greek festival

Maria João vocals, Mário Laginha piano, Julian Argüelles saxophone, Bernardo Moreira double bass, Alexandre Frazão drums

Cristina Branco vocals, Ricardo Dias piano, Bernardo Couto Portuguese guitar, Alexandre Silva guitar, Fernando Maia bass

23 & 24 July 2010, 21:30

Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre

source: greek festival.gr

“With neither husband nor adulterer”: Lysistrata of Athens undertakes to “undo the army” by stirring every Greek woman to rebel against the war that is devouring their menfolk. Swearing an oath of abstinence and withholding their sexual favours, they will force their husbands to embrace peace.
Written with Aristophanic sparkling humour in the darkest days of the Peloponnesian War, Lysistrata (411 BC) has shone down the millennia as a hymn to peace, love and womanhood.
Giannis Kakleas directs an outstanding cast in this National Theatre of Greece production of Aristophanes’ most daring comedy.

Translation: K.C. Myris
Direction: Yiannis Kakleas
Set Design: Manolis Pantelidakis
Costume Design: Eleni Manolopoulou
Movement Coach: Kyriakos Kosmidis
Music: Stavros Gasparatos
Lighting Design: Sakis Birbilis
Video: Pindaros Andriopoulos
Music Coach: Melina Peonidou
Dramaturgy: Yiannis Kakleas, Eva Saraga
Assistant Director: Nurmala Isty

Cast:

Lysistrata: Vassilis Haralambopoulos
Magistrate: Christos Hadjipanayiotis
Myrrhine: Eleni Kokkidou
Calonice: Yorgos Chrysostomou
Cinesias / Myrrhine: Makis Papadimitriou
Athenian Negotiator: Themis Panou
Lampito: Laertes Malkotsis
Spartan Herald: Stavros Mavridis

And: Anna Athanassiadi, Alexandra Aidini, Iphigenia Asteriadi, Michalis Theofanous, Nikos Kardonis, Fay Kokkinopoulou, Niki Lami, Katerina Lypiridou, Christos Malakis, Konstantinos Maravelias, Sophia Michail, Agorista Ikonomou, Yorgos Papageorgiou, Dimitris Passas, Grigoris Pimenidis, Alain Rivero, Marianthi Sondaki, , Ioanna Triantafyllidou, Angeliki Trombouki, Konstantinos Tserkakis, Maria Tsima, Vangelis Hadjinikolaou

source: greek festival.gr

16 & 17 July 2010, 21:00

Epidaurus Ancient Theatre

Dissolving the boundaries between reality and myth, the pioneering documentary theatre group Rimini Protokoll explores here the effects ancient tragedy has on contemporary life: Who identifies with Prometheus and who with Io? Who with Hermes and who with Oceanus? 100 Athenians, representing Athens in statistical terms of age, sex, district and nationality, will declare their similarities to – and differences from – the tragic heroes on stage. Prometheus is only the beginning. From him shall spring 100 Athenian voices, each representing 40.000 Athenians. They turn Aischylos’ “Prometheus” into a source of questions and reveal unheard statistical facts on stage.

Direction: Helgard Haug, Daniel Wetzel
Dramaturgy: Sebastian Brünger
Assistant Director and Research: Prodromos Tsinikoris
Research and Co-operation: Anestis Azas, Giolanta Markopoulou, Christina Poluchroniadou
Ancient Tragedy Consultant: Kostas Valakas
Set: Gkai Stefanou
Lights: Nikos Vlasopoulos
Music: Jeff Gonzalez aka MC BNC & IMAM BAILDI
DJ, bass: Orestis Falireas
Drums, percussions: Lissandros Falireas
Clarinet, Sax: Giannis Diskos
Trumpet: Periklis Aliopis
Bouzouki: Alexis Arapatsakos
Guitars, Vocals: Spiros Vrionis
Accordion, Vocals: Giorgos Zografos
Sound Engineering: Xaris Kremmidas

Video
Direction: Athena Tsagari
Photography Direction: Ilias Adamis
Production: Kostas Kefalas
Assistant Direction: Maria Hatzakou
Camera: Ilias Adamis, Giorgos Argiroiliopoulos, Dionissis Efthimiopoulos, Irini Zevgoli, Simos Sarketzis, Despoina Spirou.
Editing: Matt Johnson, Sandrine Cheyrol

Web design: wemove
Mask: Martha Foka
Sign Language Interpreter: Sofia Rompoli

Konstantina Kouneva is represented by Efi Kiourtidou

An Athens Festival Production
In collaboration with Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture

source: greek festival

15 July 2010, 21:00

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Pina Bausch’s Istanbul: another stop-off point along her poetic wanderings, another inkling of what it feels like to be human. Nefés was inspired in 2003 by the war in Iraq. It means ‘breath’ in Turkish, and though it sketches a dark city, it never ceases to sing of life. The ancient traditions of the Turkish hamam, Sufi meditation and whirling dervishes, the sensuality of the belly dance: contrasting images that form a fresco of a city flamboyant, bustling yet sad, caught between myth and history.

Co-production: Istanbul Dance Festival & Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts

We thank our friends in Istanbul especially: Şakir Eczacıbaşı, Görgün Taner, Dikmen Gürün, Koza Tamdoğan, Ani Haddeler Pekman, Melih Fereli, Gülen İpek Abalı, Emek Abalı, Mehmet Albayrak, Sandra Albukrek, Carlotta Arıkanlı, Hakan Atalah, Ulaş Ay, Çelenk Bafra, Murat Belge, Murat Ersan, Nergis Günsenin, Bike Gürsel, Erdem Helvacıoğlu, Figen Işık, Nazlı Karadağ, Haluk Köse, Geyvan Mc Millen, Esra Nilgün Mirze, Nazan Ölçer, Neslişah Sultan and Can Tursan

A piece by Pina Bausch
In cooperation with Istanbul Theatre Festival and Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV).

Directed & choreographed by Pina Bausch
Sets & Videos: Peter Pabst
Costume Design Marion Cito
Musical Collaboration: Matthias Burkert, Andreas Eisenschneider
Assistants to Director: Marion Cito, Helena Pikon, Robert Sturm

With:
Ruth Amarante, Pablo Aran Gimeno, Rainer Behr, Andrey Berezin, Damiano Ottavio Bigi, Silvia Farias Heredia, Ditta Miranda Jasjfi, Nayoung Kim, Daphnis Kokkinos, Thusnelda Mercy, Pascal Merighi, Nazareth Panadero, Jorge Puerta Armenta, Azusa Seyama, Shantala Shivalingappa, Julie Anne Stanzak, Michael Strecker, Fernando Suels Mendoza, Kenji Takagi, Anna Wehsarg

Music:
Mercan Dede, Birol Topaloglu, ercan Dede, Birol Topaloglu, Burhan Öçal, Replicas, Bülent Ersoy, Candan Erçetin, Sagye, Suren Asaduryan mit Yansimalar; Amon Tobin, Arild Andersen, Bugge Wesseltoft, Chris McGregor´s Brotherhood of Breath, Dr. Rockit, Plastikman, Elektrotwist, Inner Zone Orchestra, Souad Massi, Astor Piazzolla, Tom Waits, Uhuhboo Project

Rehearsals Directors: Helena Pikon, Robert Sturm
Set Design Assistant: Gerburg Stoffel
Costume Design Assistant: Birgit Stoessel
Ballet Master: Paul Melis
Stage Manager: Felicitas Willems
Technical Director:  Jörg Ramershoven
Lighting Director: Fernando Jacon
Lighting Assistants: Jo Verlei, Kerstin Hardt, Lars Priesack
Sound: Karsten Fischer
Stage Technicians: Dietrich Röder, Martin Winterscheidt
Properties: Jan Szito
Warderobe: Silvia Franco, Andreas Maier
Shiatsu Therapist: Ludger Müller

source: greek festival

13 – 15 July 2010, 21:00

Megaron, Τhe Athens Concert Hall, Alexandra Trianti Hall