"Erotokritos" by Vitsentzos Kornaros | Dir. Argyro Chioti

A National Theatre of Northern Greece Production

Venues

Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies (1st Season/Year) | January 27 2023

Theatre of Lazaristes Monastery (2nd Season/Year) | November 21 2023

TOUR:

Municipal Theatre of Nicosia | 2024 Nicosia International Festival (Cyprus) | January 10, 2024

“EROTOKRITOS”

A National Theatre Of Northern Greece Production

January 10, 2024

2024 Nicosia International Festival of Cyprus | Nicosia Municipal Theatre

Video: Petros Petridis

Photos by Mike Rafail

Α few words about the play
“Erotokritos” is a self-contained poetic universe of incredible richness and narrative power. The performance dives freely into its world, picking out sections that shine a light on timely issues relating to the limits of the individual will when it comes to transcending social norms. Retaining Kornaros’ exhilarating narrative, the production focuses on Aretousa, a woman who does not surrender herself passively to the “turnings of the cycle”, but asserts her right to self-determination with courage, passion and hope.

The performance employs a code familiar in contemporary theatre which emphasizes the power of narrative and, above all, of music: everything is born of and evolves through music, the music that is echoed constantly by the words and which is simultaneously a crucial medium for driving the plot. Music is the raw material of the performance, which draws on the musicality of speech and the human body to create a holistic embracing experience aimed, before all else, at the senses.
 
Poem: Rahil Fallahfar

Credits

Adaptation - Dramaturgical processing: Efthymis Theou, Concept - Direction: Argyro Chioti, Set: Eva Manidaki, Costumes: Angelos Mentis, Music: Lola Totsiou, Movement: Sofia Papanikandrou, Dimitris Sotiriou, Lighting: Tasos Palaioroutas, Musical coaching: Chrysa Toumanidou, Assistant to the director: Viki Kitsiou, Assistant to the set and costume designer: Elli Nalmpanti, Production Coordinator: Marily Ventouri

Cast: Theodora Loukas (Poet - Frosyni), Giannis Charisis (Poet - Pezostratos), Chara Giota, Ioanna Demertzidou, Aigli Katsiki, Anna Kopaka (Aretousa), Kostis Kapellidis (Erotokritos - electric bass, percussion), Ioannis Bastas(Erotokritos, saxophone), Konstantinos Cheilas (Erotokritos -  piano), Panagiotis Papaioannou (King)

Musicians on stage: Natalia Giannaki (piano), Aliki Marda (cello)

Photos under that long black cloud

The Poets: Theodora Loukas (Frosyni) & Giannis Charisis (Pezostratos)

Aretousa & Erotokritos: Aigli Katsiki & Kostis Kapellidis

Aretousa & Erotokritos: Anna Kopaka & Konstantinos Cheilas

Aretousa & King: Ioanna Demertzidou & Panagiotis Papaioannou

Aretousa & Erotokritos: Chara Giota & Ioannis Bastas

Erotokritos National Theater of Northern Greece