Ceremonial closing and awards at the 38th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival

Solemnly and with everyone’s wishes for an even more upward course for the institution, the curtain closed on the evening of Saturday, March 25, of the 38th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival organized by the Union of Cultural Associations of the Prefecture in co-organization with the Region of Thessaly-Regional Unit of Karditsa, the Municipality of Karditsa, the Regional Union of Municipalities of Thessaly, the Chamber of Karditsa and with the support of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaliotidos and Fanariofersalon.

This great celebration of the theater that Karditsa experienced for ten days and which was at the center of nationwide interest came to an end with a closing ceremony worthy of the institution’s prestige, with a special moment of the presence of the leading performer and musician Giorgos Dalaras who captivated the audience.
The evening began with the awarding of the prizes, putting an end to the agony of the eight competing troupes in total.
His greeting followed President of the Union of Cultural Associations Manolis Stergiopoulos who proceeded to give a brief account of what this year’s event included and its most special moments and thanked everyone who contributed to its success.

Its expiration 38th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival announced the mayor of Karditsa Vasilis Tsiakos who emphasized that Karditsa became known throughout Greece for ten days. “Congratulations to the Union of Cultural Clubs which, once again, proved that when you do something with love and passion, you can do miracles. I thank the members of the Jury, the volunteers and above all the public who give us the strength to continue” he noted.
Then the journalist-writer and visual artist Thanasis Lalas presented Giorgos Dalaras, talking about a particularly important artist and person.
For his part, Giorgos Dalaras, applauded by the audience, emphasized: “This is where my ancestors started. Thank you for dealing with my case. Heraclitus used to say “The Gods get drunk with honors”. Imagine what people are going through.”

The mayor of Karditsa, Vassilis Tsiakos, presented him with a souvenir of the event.

His Ensemble of Greek Music took the baton Music School of Karditsa, under the direction of Professor Ilias Pappathrilling the audience.
In the last part of the program, he came on stage George Dalaras performing with his unique voice three wonderful songs.
The leading artist praised the work of the Music School and, addressing the students, said that music is medicine.
It was a magical closing ceremony, full of special moments and emotions, of those that only Art can create.
In the evening they presented Vanessa Stylopoulou and Ritsa Tsikrika.

THE AWARDS

Best Performance Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To the SYN-ENA Theater Group Michalis Toumbouros of Kalamata who participated with the play “Trash” by Yiannis Xanthoulis

Directing Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Konstantinos Katsoulakis for directing the play “Garbage” by Yiannis Xanthoulis presented by the SYN-ENA Theater Group Michalis Toumbouros of Kalamata

Text Choice Award

AWARDED:
1) To Aphrodite Florou for the selection of the text “Silent Fish” presented by the Theater Group “KLEPSYDRA”
2) At the Sperchiada-Makrakomi Theatrical Workshop that participated with Neil Simon’s play “The Idiots”

Best Actor Award

AWARDED:
1) To George Michalis for the role of “Tilemachos” in the play “Miss of 39” by Alek Sakellarios-Christos Giannakopoulos presented by the “Open Sails” Theatrical Procession of the Municipality of Saronikos
2) To Christos Evangelidis for the role of “Investigator” in the play “The Inquisitor Comes” by John Presley presented by the Theater Group of Friends of Thesprotia

Best Actress Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Anastasia Valachi for the role of “Chrysanthi” in the play “Miss of 39” by Alekos Sakellarios-Christos Giannakopoulos presented by the “Open Sails” Theatrical Procession of the Municipality of Saronikos

Best Supporting Actor Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Dino Djuna for the role of “Count Yusekevich” in the play “The Idiots” by Neil Simon presented by the Sperchiada-Makrakomis Theater Workshop

Best Supporting Actress Award

AWARDED:
1) To Vivi Zafiris for the role of “Lenia Zubritsky (mother)” in the play “Idiots” by Neil Simon presented by the Sperchiada-Macrakomis Theater Workshop
2) To Maria Krompa for the role of “Santa Zoumboulia” in the play “Trash” by Yiannis Xanthoulis presented by the SYN-ENA Theater Group Michalis Toumbouros of Kalamata

“Tassos Zografos” Scenography Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Christina Rigopoulou for the scenography in Neil Simon’s play “The Idiots” presented by the Sperchiada-Makrakomi Theatrical Workshop

Costume Design Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Georgia Katsari for the costuming in Neil Simon’s play “The Idiots” presented by the Sperchiada-Makrakomi Theatrical Workshop

Music Composition Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
To Michalis Toumbouros for the musical composition in the play “Trash” by Yiannis Xanthoulis presented by the SYN-ENA Theater Group Michalis Toumbouros Kalamata

Music Curation Award

AWARDED UNANIMOUSLY:
1) To Iakovos Drosos for the musical editing of the play “Idiots” by Neil Simon presented by the Sperchiada-Makrakomi Theatrical Workshop

Choreography – Movement Award

AWARDED:
1) To the SYN-ENA Theater Group of Michalis Toumbouros of Kalamata who presented the play “Trash” by Yiannis Xanthoulis
2) To the Theater Group “KLEPSYDRA” which presented the play “Silent Fish” by Afroditis Floros

Audience Award

Awarded with a percentage of 85.57% to the SYN-ENA Theater Group of Michalis Toumbouros of Kalamata who presented the play “Trash” by Yiannis Xanthoulis

The greeting of the President of the Union of Cultural Associations Manolis Stergiopoulos

The curtain closes on the 38th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival.
A curtain raised after five months of tireless effort and systematic work and in the midst of many difficulties.
Even under these conditions, the 38th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival became a reality and was a resounding form of resistance against everything black, miserable and suffocating.
For ten days, our city put on its festive clothes welcoming this “rite of spring”.
During this entire duration of the event, the public had the opportunity to watch either from the hall of the Municipal Cinema, or online (exceeding any attendance record) a total of eight theatrical performances, tributes to the former mayor of Karditsa Dimitris Archontis, to the actors Michalis Aerakis and Costas Arzoglou, to the composer Dimitris Papadimitriou while today, at the end, we will enjoy the great performer-musician Giorgos Dalaras and the Music School of Karditsa, now an integral part of the institution.
However, there was also a whole parallel world, a world that the Festival has created in recent years and this is none other than the high-level theater seminars that are increasingly accepted by our local society.
Particularly:
• Set designer Antonis Chalkias and professor of cultural anthropology Pavlos Kavouras presented the workshop “Transforming the text into a performance: the creative dialogue between the actors of a play” together with the literary group of the 1st Experimental GEL and the young people of the theater workshop.
• Cultural anthropology professor Pavlos Kavouras and stage designer Antonis Chalkias continued last year’s successful training of theatergoers about “Symbols”.
• The journalist, visual artist, writer Thanasis Lalas addressed to theater lovers and art students the original seminar “The scribble as a signature”
At the same time, the educator, theater and animator Sylvia Sinani organized a theatrical game with the theme “”I weave my dreams with warps of love”.
However, none of this would have been possible without cooperation and support.
That is why I express my sincere thanks to:
To the Co-Organizers:
 Region of Thessaly – Regional Unit of Karditsa
 Municipality of Karditsa
 Regional Union of Municipalities (PED) of Thessaly
 Chamber of Karditsa
As well as to the Holy Metropolis of Thessaliotidos and Fanariofersalon for its support.
To the Sponsors: Cooperative Bank of Karditsa, OMIROS Dairy Industry, BHP Organic Fertilizers, Food Production Company DAMAVAND SA, Natural Mineral Water THEONI, Psychiatric Clinic KASTALIA
To the Communication Sponsors: ERT3, ERT LARISAS
Special thanks to:
 Throughout the Board of Directors of the Union of Cultural Associations, to the President of the Audit Committee Giannis Glynos and to the former Secretary Vassilis Agrafiotis
 To the businessman Petros Apostolou for the concession of the Municipal Cinema
 At the “KIERION” hotel for hosting the competing amateur troupes, the members of the Jury and the honored persons
 To the Jury that undertook the task of evaluating the competing troupes: the playwright Giorgos A. Christodoulou, the director-actor Nikos Hatzipapas, the choreographer-theatreologist Kallia Theodosiadis, the actress Eleni Tzagarakis and the set designer Antonis Chalkias
 To the Project Selection Committee that undertook the difficult task of selecting the entries for the competition part: the philologist-writer-lyricist-Director of the Regional Theater of Karditsa Dimitris Rita and the actors Christos Halvantzara and Georgia Kalogirou
 To the painter Akis Kotrotsios for the wonderful artwork on the Poster and the cover of the program
 To Nikos Kotoulas (Laboratory Thaumatropio) for the design of the poster and the invitation
 To Vanessa Stylopoulou for organizing the seminars
 To Ritsa Tsikrikas for the presentation
 To the volunteers who helped us in every possible way.
 In the Mass Media for the promotion of the Festival.
 And to all of you, the theatre-loving audience, who are the backbone of the Festival
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of the Festival,
With the whole-hearted wish for world peace, for an end to the pandemic and every form of crisis that threatens us, for prosperity, social cohesion, progress and upliftment, Good luck to the 39th Panhellenic Karditsa Amateur Theater Festival.