“Persians” by Aeschylus directed by Dim. Karantza at the Open Theater of the Old Olive Oil Mill of Elefsina

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The performance “Persians” by Aeschylus, directed by Dimitris Karantzas, takes place within the framework of the “AESCHYLUS project ^” of the “2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe”.

After the great success they scored in Ancient theatre of Epidavros with more than 14,000 viewers, the “Persians” by Aeschylus directed by Dimitris Karantzas are coming to the Open Theater of Old Olive Tree, with the participation of 40 volunteers from Elefsina and the surrounding area, on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 July. It is a co-production of “2023 Elefsis Cultural Capital of Europe”, the Athens Epidaurus Festival and the “To Theatro” Company.

Staffed by a group of excellent actors (Christos Loulis, Giorgos Gallos, Michalis Oikonomou, Alexia Kaltsiki, Theodora Tzimou, Yannis Klinis, Aineias Tsamatis, Ilias Moulas, Manos Petrakis, Tasos Karahalios, Vassilis Panagiotopoulos, George Poulios), her superior Renis PittakisDimitris Karantzas’ performance poses critical questions about what constitutes “society”, what it means to cling to power and the need to believe in a guide, human or god, in a broken world.

“The axis through which I read the work”, notes D. Karantzas, “is the course of a people that goes from absolute faith to questioning and then to conflict, until it reaches a manic, convulsive reaction. Neither does blind faith work, nor does blind reaction. As if you see the impossibility of the social contract.”

The coil and the orchestra come together to “participate” in a common conversation about defeat, the difficulty of accepting it and the embarrassment of continuity, with the participation of volunteers who gradually enter the space, composing a “society” that searches for its thread existence after the disaster, as a reflection of the present historical moment.

“The Persians are any society: It’s like taking an X-ray of the side of the loser and a society that doesn’t know how to go on after a complete defeat. And Epidaurus functions as a public stage. Like in a square that is probably very close to us or in some other country, people are discussing how to resist and how to hold on when they have lost all their points of reference. The Persians lose faith in the king, then in the concept of monarchy, then in God and finally in their own ability to react,” says D. Karantzas.

At the same time, Atossa of Persia, played by Reni Pittaki, is “the cold gentle voice of power” who wants to preserve and continue in a society almost decimated. “Two completely different views of what the world means,” points out Karantzas.

A few words about the AESCHYLOU project ^

The performance “Persians” by Aeschylus, directed by Dimitris Karantzas, takes place within the framework of the “AESCHYLUS project ^” of the “2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe”. The action concerns the presentation of original performance works, based on the works of the great Eleusinian tragedian, with the aim of institutionalizing a rare dialogue on the Aeschylean drama. In the same context, on July 23 & 24, the play “Clytemnestra” by the great Flemish group tg STAN was presented at the Open Theater of Paleo Elaiourgiou.

A few words about the project

Written in 472 BC, the tragedy of Aeschylus is perhaps the oldest recording of events in Greek history in the theater. In Susa, the Persian capital, the citizens left behind and their queen, Atossa, who is tormented by bad omens, await news of Xerxes’ military operation in Greece. A messenger announces the terrible outcome of the Battle of Salamis: the Persian army and its elite leaders have been crushed. Atossa and Choros call upon the ghost of Darius to guide them. The glorious king condemns the infamy of Xerxes, who wanted to tame nature and divine will, and predicts even more disasters. With the arrival of Xerxes, the crash culminates. The scales now tip decisively towards the horror of the end.

Endless lists of names run through the work: those who first lit the way for hope, victory and unity, now fall one by one, lost in the darkness of a devastated place, a people on the edge of horror, reason and obedience.

The “Persians” as a tragedy of humanity, as a microsystem that reflects issues of existence and coexistence, unresolved throughout the centuries, become, under the directorial instructions of Karantzas, a common place for a conversation that indirectly illuminates the multiple global impasses of today. The theater is the public space, the Church of the Municipality, the City. The Dance of the Persians, “society”, begins with faith and obedience, ending, after annihilation, in an anarchic multitude without a guide or point of reference.

The translation is by Panagiotis Mullas. The adaptation is signed by Dimitris Karantzas and Gely Kalambaka. The sets are edited by Cleo Bobotis, the costumes by Ioanna Tsami, the animation by Tasos Karahalios, the lighting by Dimitris Kasimatis, the musical composition and live performance by George Poulios.

Start time: 21:00. Ticket prices: 20 euros, 15 euros (Students, Unemployed, Disabled, Children 6 to 12 years old). The show has Greek and English subtitles. The space is accessible to people with disabilities.

Buy tickets: aefestival.gr, viva.gr & public.gr. Old Town Hall (Nikolaidou & Vas. Laskou, Elefsina) | Opening hours: From 18 to 29 July | Monday to Friday 17:30 – 21:30. Old Olive Mill (Kanellopoulos 1, Elefsina) | Opening hours: From 18 to 31 July | Saturday to Sunday 19:00 – 21:00).

Free transportation for the public. Seat reservations here: https://form.jotform.com/221993042121346. Meeting point: Old Railway Station O.SY. (Hermou & Piraeus). Departure at 19.30 for the Open Theater of the Old Oil Mill of Elefsina and return to Athens at 23.30.

RES-EMP

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