‘Do you know what it takes to become a good actor?’
A breeze of optimism blows through the Neos Cosmos Theater. Instead of depressing colors and sour-faced artists, visitors are met by the pleasant smell of good coffee and the sound of young voices in the foyer. In its completed form, the theater has been running for just five years, but it has had many productions. This year it outdid itself, staging nine productions, including two joint ones. Meanwhile, Vassilis Mavrogeorgiou’s «Cockroach,» staged at the theater’s tiny Doma from last year, was an unexpected success, and tickets had to be booked way in advance. Lukas Baerfuss’s «Sexual Neuroses of our Parents» is considered one of the best productions by director Vangelis Theodoropoulos, along with «Common Words» and his summer production «The Acharnians.» The play was a pleasant surprise which revealed a new talent, actress Kora Karvouni. We talked to director Vangelis Theodoropoulos, who is the heart and soul of the Neos Cosmos Theater. Over the past two years, the Neos Cosmos Theater has started to resemble the Amore Theater model, with lots of productions, a young audience, etc. Is that really the case? Three theaters have followed this repertoire tactic – the National Theater, the Amore Theater and us. But in reality, in Athens there are only two sponsored repertoire theaters. And it is definitely not a question of imitation. A theatrical mix-and-match is not a bad thing. In the case of the Neos Cosmos Theater, ideology is very important. We don’t want to become too commercial, we must have repertoire scenes. We are interested in texts with a social outlook and in the way we can intervene, through our work, as active citizens. That is reflected in our plays and even more in the performances we stage at hospitals and foundations for children, even that production we did with immigrants. Don’t you think that nine productions are too many? I am not interested in quantity, as I am not interested in directing here and there either. That is something I did when I started out, with the National Theater, the National Theater of Northern Greece and regional municipal theaters. What was it that you didn’t like in that way of working? Maybe I wanted to define the game at all levels. It may sound selfish, but I didn’t want others to choose plays for me, to decide on the productions or the actors. Such a career which others have done successfully – from Volanakis to Voutsinas – didn’t really suit me. I wanted to share things. And you didn’t want to have your own theater? I never wanted to have my personal place. I wanted to share my space with others. I am interested in the way that relations are formed with people. Here, at the Neos Cosmos Theater, you can set your terms. And you have first say. I admit that, but it is not done in an authoritative way. Do you feel better as a director than as an actor? I am more relaxed as a director. As an actor, when relations were not good in the past, I used to keep to myself and that brought out my bad sides. As a director, because I can now define to a large extent the conditions, such as who I collaborate with and so on, there are fewer possibilities of me being with people I don’t like and who don’t like me. Do you get into conflicts? Conflicts are creative. But what I want is to work with good people, who can listen and who have feelings. Did you have bad experiences in the past? The psychological needs that come out at work don’t necessarily stem from previous professional experiences. It could be something related to childhood. I am not a fan of psychoanalysis. You have never been psychoanalyzed? I’d rather spend my money in a taverna. What are your collaborations based on? They are based on me listening to the others and not just talking. I don’t believe in collaborations based on contradictions and insults. These are personal problems that some directors have and they need to exercise their power, as much as other people need to work. How can anyone become so bold with an actor they’ve only known for a few days and put them down? And in the end, they even argue that through this process of insults they have shed light on the actors’ talent. You don’t believe talent can be brought out like that? Actors don’t blossom like that. They shut down. I believe in the interaction with the actor, the set designer, the technician and the box office clerk. I think a sense of humor is very important, although I admit sometimes I get carried away and then I get annoyed with myself. In general, I believe in a relaxed and creative atmosphere. You direct as many plays as you like, mostly with actors who make their first appearance, like Vassilis Mavrogeorgiou. Why don’t we encounter actors like Maya Lyberopoulou or Vassilis Papavassileiou at the Neos Cosmos Theater? Are you afraid of the comparison? Trying to make the «Cockroach,» which is a young actor’s show, successful is a greater risk than your own performance, although you may be 25 years older than him. In that case there may also be panic. You also have a reputation of paving the way for young people. Yes, but I am not interested in the commercial aspect of theater. I wouldn’t want three directors who are a «sure thing» to come and secure income for the Neos Cosmos Theater. I don’t think we would share things. Would you fight? That too. We should admit these things. The older we get, the more selfish we become. It is harder to meet up with people your own age than with younger people. Young people are also a source of renewal. I can feel that at the National Theater drama school, where I have been teaching for five years. Young people are a better generation. They get a better education from their homes and they need to learn more, because the competition is greater. Do you know what it means to have 500 new actors coming out every year? There is huge competition, there are 20 official drama schools and many workshops, but the market cannot absorb more than 30 or 40 people. Through this competition kids are smarter, they don’t see the development of their career going through a bedroom but through more qualifications. It is the only profession where you change employers twice a year. Do you know what it takes to become a good actor today? What interests you in theater? I am mostly interested in life. Theater is my job. I prefer being with Koralia (Sotiriadou), my son, my friends. If your life is not good, you can’t make good theater. Experiences lie in life.
