With a playful look and a loud laugh, she never stops looking for new challenges, such as her active participation in the operation of the cultural space “KAMIROS” and the amateur workshop she took over there this year.

Along with all the above, Maria Mamouri won a role in the most talked about and special series of this season, Milky Way.

Tell us about the surprise of the year, the Milky Way. The roles are all different, but you took on that of the school principal. How did you approach this personality?

All the roles are really special because everyone has – in a way – their own personal story that follows Maria’s story.

When Vassilis offered me the role of school principal, to tell the truth, he surprised me. You know, we all have it in our heads that these positions “belong” to older people. No one would give this position to a woman in her 40s, especially in a provincial town. But that was the point and the interest, if you will, in this character. Through the rehearsals, we approached this woman wanting to show her effort to prove that she rightfully holds this position in the closed system of teachers but at the same time to get as close as she can – and as much as she is allowed – to these children and the needs they may have . And all this, in such a special condition, the pregnancy of a schoolgirl.

Productions on television have, admittedly, changed. Is this the most positive thing the pandemic has left in acting?

To tell you the truth, I still don’t know what positive the pandemic has left in art in general, this is something that will be reflected in the years to come. I definitely see a renewed need for artists to create and the public to follow them. As far as television is concerned, if you mean that there are more productions now, with bigger budgets, with more elaborated scripts and careful choices of actors, I don’t think the pandemic did it, but the global market!

Is it a very classic question for an actor to ask whether you prefer TV or theatre? Or is it an occasion to understand what goals and dreams you have?

The question is indeed classic, as is the question ¨How do you learn so many words?’! I don’t know how everyone would answer, I prefer to play in general and tell stories through the roles I take on. I have worked mainly in the theater, the here and now of a performance is something that will always fascinate me! However, I’m very interested in discovering my acting through TV or film, it’s a completely different process and it’s something that opens up a whole new world to me while I’m doing it.

Let’s go to Kamiro, the place where you actively participate with workshops and other programs. How did this idea start and what are the difficulties of operating such a space? Tell us about the programs/workshops you have undertaken this year.

The idea of ​​Kamiros, the space we operate in Kypseli, arose through an interdisciplinary project we did in 2020, based on the book by Christos Vakalopoulos “The line of the horizon” (hence the name Kamiros). We then wanted a space that could host from a show to an exhibition or a live musician so we said, instead of finding it, let’s build it! So we started, with almost zero resources and managed – with our hands that say – to do this madness. Kamiros is now in its third year, it has hosted several wonderful shows/exhibitions/live performances, it has become the place to create our own work and it has to present a new educational program every year. Of course, all this continues to be done with great difficulties and pressures, none of us are paid and the space is not supported by any organization. Nevertheless, Kamiros has “gifted” us with wonderful meetings, new people, with joy and creativity!

This year our workshops are aimed both at professionals in the field (directing, acting, dramaturgy) and at amateurs. I have taken over the amateur workshop and this is something that has given me immense joy. We have made a very nice team!

This year the Theros team is preparing a show based on Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS. How much staying power do these classic and great works still have and how much study and conversion are they still getting?

This year is the first year we do a performance based on a classic work, we usually work on original drama. The classic works that have remained timeless are because they have spoken in a great way about the issues that concern man in general: love, love, death. Studying and converting them has more to do with how you want the man of today to hear them.

There was a lot of talk again this year about projects presented in Epidaurus. Either the direction or this “based on the original play…” feature that many don’t accept or don’t even notice before booking their ticket, once again brought the debate to what and who is “allowed” to appear in Epidaurus. What does your own generation say about all this? I am sure that your approach will help us to lead into a new era.

Anyone who cannot accept that art evolves, is something alive, the artist must test endurance and limits, propose and put forward new ideas and perspectives, then he probably wishes to remain stuck in some past that ensures him, rather a calm, but does not allow him to develop himself.

Also, I have an issue with the “custodians”, with the “holy and faithful”. Who decides who can stage in Epidaurus and how, why in Epidaurus we should only see classical climbing, what is classical climbing (chlamydes and cothorns?), who says what you are allowed to do and say and what no; In this way, neither the artist nor the viewer evolves. There was so much hype with Kitsopoulou’s performance this year and when I watched it in Athens, I personally saw the most “Aristophanic performance” I’ve seen in my life!

How honest can you be with a young person who asks you if acting is a viable option?

I can be completely honest: it is not at all – especially in this country – a viable option. Being an actor means that you will always be insecure, you will be constantly looking for work, the money will not cover your livelihood needs and when it does, it will be for a very short time. However, if you ask an actor if he would choose to do another job, the answer would probably be no!

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