Postwar history allegory opens tomorrow in Athens
The National Theater of Greece’s latest productions premiere with Michalis Dimou’s «Wind ex Machina,» a contemporary Greek play staged for the first time. The production, directed by Costas Tsianos and starring Betty Valasi and Giorgos Moschidis, will open at the National Theater’s New Stage tomorrow. «At first, the play appears to be a contemporary family drama, set in an ordinary Greek family. In reality, it is an allegory of our postwar history. Koula, the leading character, represents Greece. She is trapped in the world of the urban middle-class, she serves it and uses all means possible in order to survive,» said playwright Dimou at a recent press conference. «I am interested in the factors that motivate this woman: In the end, she will become the victim of those whom she has taught,» he added. Tsianos, the director, praised the structure of the play, the writing and the characters, who are quite genuine. «The outrageous and dramatic situations alternate with comic moments. Dimou describes familiar yet also unexpected occurrences in the life of an ordinary family, which includes harsh conflicts. Victims become persecutors and vice versa. The characters resort to illusions and dreams in order to live and corruption is inevitable. Their fight for survival, via financial transactions, harsh negotiations for selfish aims and efforts to earn the right to escape their illusions, will mentally destroy them.» Talking about her part, Betty Valasi described Koula as a devastated woman who could be living anywhere in the world. «Life slips through her hands due to her own mistakes, the cruelty of those around her and the way the system works. This play was a surprise for me. I was very glad to take on the part, though after my husband’s death I had considered abandoning the theater.» Periklis Karaconstantoglou, who plays the part of Stelios, spoke of the intense conflicts and the tragic game between victims and persecutors. «Stelios is only a small link in that chain of fraud that exists in general,» he said. The sets are by Nikos Saridakis and the lighting is by Andreas Bellis. The remaining parts are played by Nikoletta Vlavianou and Christos Vassilopoulos.
