An extended summer of drama
The Ancient Drama Festival held annually at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus has been extended this year by three weeks (June 18 – August 28) and three shows. Of the 11 total shows only one is a foreign production (by the Piccolo Teatro of Milan) and the other 10 are Greek. The program is as follows: «The Trojan Women» (18-19/6) is produced by the Theatriki Diadromi company, directed by Diagoras Chronopoulos and starring Anna Vagena, Peggy Trikalioti and Yiannis Vouros. «Aristophaneia» (25-26/6) is basically a compilation of extracts from Aristophanes plays that have been staged in the past by the Theatro Technis, with the original instructions of the renowned company’s past directors. «The Bacchae» (2-3/7) is produced by the internationally acclaimed Piccolo Teatro of Milan, directed by Giorgio Strehler on the instructions of the late Luca Ronconi. The production stars Giovanni Crippa and Massimo Popolizio. «Hippolytus» (9-10/7) is produced by the Greek National Theater, directed by Vassilis Nikolaidis and starring Constantinos Markoulakis in the title role and Filareti Komninou as Phaedra. «Lysistrata» (16-17/7) is also produced by the National Theater, but directed by Costas Tsianos and starring Lydia Koniordou. «Andromache» (23-24/7) is produced by the Amphi-Theater and the Volos Regional Municipal Theater, directed by Spyros A. Evangelatos and starring Leda Tassopoulou, Spyros Mavidis and Alexis Stavrakis. «Philoctetes» (30-31/7) is produced by the Larissa Regional Municipal Theater, directed by Yiannis Iordanidis and starring Nikitas Tsakiroglou, Nikos Psaras and Giorgos Kentros. «Achilles» (6-7/8) is based on a trilogy by Aeschylus that no longer survives, and is being produced by the Cyprus Theater Organization, adapted by Ilias Malandris and directed by Nikos Haralambous. It stars Jenny Gaitanopoulou, Despina Bebedeli and Mario Frangoulis. «Eumenides» (14-15/8) is produced by the Elliniki Skini group, directed by and starring Anna Synodinou, along with Pepy Metallidou, Mania Tehritzoglou and Costas Athanassopoulos. «Trachiniae» (20-21/8) is produced by the State Theater of Northern Greece, directed (according to sources though not finalized) by Victor Adrittis. «Plutus» (27-28/8) is produced by the Evmolpis-Lazopoulos group, directed by Nikos Mastorakis, with music by Stamatis Kraounakis and starring Lakis Lazopoulos and Takis Papamattheou.
