It’s been 34 years since Harwood’s “Abigier” was first presented on the Greek stage
A theater for theater. The theater, which is the palliative “punishment” of man in his condemnation to interpret the mysteries of life. A theater for the theater is such a penalty in the square. Think of spending a lifetime searching for the exits in the labyrinthine paths of your soul, putting on and taking off roles, and in the end, discovering that the meaning of your existence is hidden in this very process: in the search, which you have now turned into a ritual.
In 1980, Sir Ronald Harwood decided to transform into a theatrical script the indomitable effort of an abier to keep alive the dream in the regal eyes of his aging sexperian protagonist, at the same time preserving his own raison d’être. Enlisting his experience from such a long service in real life, the author has transformed the effort of his central hero into a life goal, a sacred duty of the man who is secretary and confessor and psychotherapist and diligent nurse who injects the tonic doses into the artist whom he serves. , every time she sees him falling into the traps of old age, weariness and dementia.
It’s been 34 years since “Abhier” by Harwood premiered on the Greek stage with a versatile young (then) Tsakiroglou “breaking it” in the title role serving the exuberant Sir Papamikhail, who was giving yet another performance of a lifetime. But the theater is a living organism, which finds new ways of expression, new nuclei of reflection and reflection, new channels of communication with its audience. Nice performances can (fortunately) be repeated differently seen by including the data of the times and trains succeeding each other.
A proven director – general (Kostas Gakis) and a handful of capable actors – soldiers are enough to credit a battle that is fought and won in the evenings, from Wednesday to Sunday on the stage of the “Jeni Karezi” theater, in this same scene, where in 1989 that, the other, team was fighting its own triumphant battle. Comparisons between the two shows are a trap. Any comparison between identical performances is a trap. Especially when they unfold with such a chronological distance from each other. A theatrical work, it is – according to Ionesco – a thriller, the development of which is decided by the era and not by the author.
Gerasimos Skiadaresis (this time) in the role of abier Norman is the calm force, who picks up everything when they fall: his master and his symbiote or his associates, morals…, hopes… He is the one who talks incessantly trying, dare I say, to prevent a dangerous silence of second thought and resignation from coming between him and his master. The truth is that the face and physique of this abier do not lend themselves to the author’s image of the light, flexible, deftly manipulative gay Norman. Skiadaresis, however, despite the objective difficulties, with his industriousness and with the responsibility that characterizes his work, brings the hero to his side.
On the other hand, the talent of Michaelides certainly “dresses” Harwood’s insecure, thunderous, grumpy Sir. The displacement of the… hypocrite who impersonates the hypocrite, admirably meets the aging sir’s requirement, albeit with a “pinched” energy and flexibility inversely proportional to the hero’s weary body.
Maro Papadopoulou, Tzeni Kollia, Apostolos Pelekanos, Adriana Andreovits, Giorgos Yatzitzakis, Orfeas Tsarekas and Angelos Nerantzis beautifully support the two of them, in the roles of the actors who are determined to ensure the consistent presence of the tired actor on stage, each for his own reason, all, however, so obvious and so distinguishable in the agony of survival in the war condition (world war II), in which the case theoretically develops.
Gakis places the bee around the king at a greater safety distance than the author placed it thirty years ago. Any dependence they have on the award-winning actor is mostly existential, rather than emotional. The pure motive of devotion to their mentor was “measured, weighed and found wanting”, because the war (in correspondence with today’s agonizing survival) turns an already difficult life into a minefield and the ser’s “retirement” from the theatrical events it means unemployment and hunger for all. More, of course, for Norman who sees in the end with horror that he is losing the double reason for his existence… “Did he die? How did he die; What will I do now? How will I live? (where will I derive meaning and life resources from?)’.
The show flows quietly, beautifully. Like a lesson in self-awareness dipped in honey. Because it is not important to tell – even to yourself – the bitter truths, but how to tell them…
Representations: Wednesday: 19:00, Thursday & Friday: 21:00, Saturday: 18:00 & 21:00, Sunday 18:00 – “Jeni Karezi” Theatre: Akadimias 3, tel.: 2103636144, 2103644921
RES-EMP
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I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
