Paris salons take the stage in Athens
A comedy, Marivaux’s «La Commere» (The Gossip), will be ushering in the new year in the capital’s theater scene when it premieres tomorrow at the Topos Allou Theater. The production has been translated into Greek by Andreas Staikos and it is directed by Nikos Kamtsis, while the lead roles are played Miranda Zafeiropoulou and Mina Adamaki. «La Commere» is really something of an odd play. A pure-blooded result of 18th century Paris parlor talk, it was commissioned from Marivaux by a count whom he met at one of the salons the French playwright used to frequent. A noted critic of gossip and hypocracy, Marivaux takes a stab at a society that thrived on gossip, that was weary and jaded and on the verge of its decline. Another interesting play will be premiering next week, on January 14, by the Theatro Ennea ke Kati company at Theatro Technis on Frynichou Street in Plaka. «Gertrude Stein and a Companion,» by Win Wells, which is also set in the literary salons of Paris, tells the story of the remarkable relationship between writer-mentor-wit Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. The play presents snapshots of their relationship over time, from the early 1900s to the 1960s, and reveals the influence Gertrude and Alice had on well-known literary and artistic figures such as Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. The Greek production is directed by Nikaiti Kountouri.
