Wilder and Albee on stage in capital
“There are some plays that scar theater from their very first appearance,» said actor Stamatis Fasoulis recently. «They leave a deep scar, and that scar, with all its intensity, its passion and its strength, is so powerful that it overshadows the play itself. It’s just like a fresh scar on a face that won’t allow you to notice the eyes, the lips and the mouth. It makes you want to describe the scarred person as the one with the scar, not the one with, say, the black eyes, the thin lips or the curly hair.» That is how the well-known actor tried to reawaken lost emotions within the context of the opening of Thornton Wilder’s play «Our Town,» which is on at the Dimitris Horn Theater. Fasoulis may not be starring in the play but he has translated and directed it. The production stars Peggy Trikalioti, Christos Stergioglou, Yiannis Tsimitselis, Dafni Labroyianni, Yiota Festa, Costas Triandafyllopoulos and Nikos Hytas. The play stood out when it was written in 1938 because of its modern writing, which, according to Fasoulis, has never lost its edge. «With the passage of time, we see that what appeared modern back then is today something classic, though still contemporary and long-lasting.» The play has a long history in Greece. It was first put on stage by celebrated actress Mrs Katerina, then by the Theatro Technis and 30 years ago by Elli Lambeti, with Nikos Kourkoulos and Yiannis Fertis. It was last performed in 1992, starring Pemy Zouni, Nikitas Tsakiroglou and Stratos Tzortzoglou. In the play, we see life being built right in front of our eyes through the relationship of two youngsters and their families, a kind of Romeo and Juliet in America. «A huge mural of man’s internal world,» as depicted in Antonis Daglidis’s set design. And at the newly renovated Athinais Theater, Edward Albee’s «A Delicate Balance» will open tomorrow, starring Zoi Laskari. Albee, who has been awarded three Pulitzer Prizes, reveals and castigates the traumas of Western society as seen through the conflicts in a typical well-off American family. Albee’s play has been translated by Nonika Galinea and the play is directed by Athanassia Karayiannopoulou with sets and costumes by Giorgos Asimakopoulos. Apart from Laskari, the production also features Takis Chrysikakos, Vana Pefani, Maria Solomou and Ektor Kaloudis.
