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Surprise Tonight at Athens’ Agyra venue

Tonight... surprise! (Apopse i ekpliksi) [performance photos],
originally uploaded by theatromathia.

In this play a variety theater loses its way… Theatromathia (a non-profit organization) dares once again to present a pioneering work. The play by Takis Chrioulis is nothing if not unconventional and presented at Athens’ Agyra venue from March 14 to April 18.

Unexpected drifts and inversions in a vaudeville show

The play is something between a subversive comedy and a satire. These elements maintained their classic form and appear with new dimensions through the contemporary angle provided in the show. A group of actors present a vaudeville performance through a series of unexpected drifts and inversions. The actors endeavour to stay calm and try to lead things along a natural course. But, they just slip. The deviation is so intense that the audience even doubts if the show is accidental or organized. The end inevitably brings surprise and shock. That’s why the actors kindly requested those who knew the end of the story to keep it to themselves.

Credits

• Playwright & Director: Takis Chrisoulis
• Costumes-sets: Michalis Sdougos
• Cast: Aliki Katsavou, Natassa Kritikou, Helena Roumelioti, Zoe Sada, Julie Tsolka
• Piano: Maro Chasioti
  

Potatoes, Potatoes by Anita Lobel, An anti-war play for children

"Theatromathia" Educational Drama Institute and Agyra Publications presents a unique performance with an educational and cultural interest, a performance praising the value of peace and fraternization, based on the book of the prized Polish author and painter Anita Lobel, entitled "Potatoes, Potatoes". The performance takes place every Saturday noon.

The work is about a woman who had a field of potatoes and two sons. One day, one of her sons left and joined the army of the East. After a while, the other son left and joined the army of the West. The two brothers found themselves in opponent sides, but their wise mother manages to bring peace back to their land. It's a work full of messages, colours and intense emotions.

_MG_4478,
originally uploaded by theatromathia.

Performance ID

Text-lyrics: Takis Chryssoulis
Direction-sets-costumes: Melina Papanestoros
Music: Anastassia Papadimitriou
Instrumentation: Yorgos Konstantinidis
Choreographies: Julie Tsolka & Aliki Katsavou
Cast: Dimitra Konstantinopoulou, Elena Roumelioti, Dimitra Yannakopoulou, Evgenia Moraki

Place: Agyra (124 Solonos & Emm. Benaki St)
tel:+30-210-3837540
fax:+30-210-3837066
agyra@agyra.gr
From: 13/10/2007 to 20/06/2008
Every Saturday: 12:30
Tickets: Children € 14,50 (purchase of the book)/ Escorts: € 10,00

ALEXIS WITH THE WOODEN HORSE» by Mrs. Galatia Gregoriadou-Soureli.

Re-circulating in its new format, images and appearance is the book by the voluminous author, Mrs. Galatia Gregoriadou-Soureli : «Alexis with the wooden horse». The book, which is included in the familiar series «Children's Horizons», became favourably accepted - in its original form - both by parents and children. On the demand of parents and following the decision of the Board of Directors of the Apostoliki Diakonia, it is circulating with simplified punctuation, with four-colour, new imagery, and - most important - with a CD containing the theatrical version of the story. In this way, young readers will have the opportunity to enjoy the theatrical presentation by the Educational Drama Institute "Theatromathia" and Evgenios Spatharis, along with the actual reading of the book. The theatrical presentation was by Mr. Takis Chrysoulis and the new imagery by Mr. Constantine Georgiades.
Dimensions 21X25, 125 pages. Price: 16 €. A publication of Apostoliki Diakonia in Greek language

"The Quiltmaker's Journey" at Agyra Centre in Athens

Agyra Publications and Educational Drama Institute of Greece "Theatromathia" continue the effort they began last year with the drama adaptation of Jeff Brumbeau's awarded fairy-tale "The Quiltmaker's Gift," by presenting every Saturday noon, till the end of June the prequel of the book, entitled "The Quiltmaker's Journey." Director of the performance is Melina Papanestoros; Takis Chryssoulis has adapted the story for stage (he has also written the lyrics of the songs) and Μelina Papanestoros, Aliki Katsavou, Dimitra Yannakopoulou, Elena Roumelioti hold the four parts of the play.
"The Quiltmaker's Journey" celebrates the value of generosity, the spirit of community and the quilting tradition.
"The Quiltmaker's Journey" tells the story behind the Quiltmakers Gift as it highlights a different traditional quilt block pattern, the name of which relate to the unfolding story.
Through this theatre performance it is attempted to stimulate children's creative imagination showing them at the same time the lesson that exists within every myth. Instead of a ticket in hand, children get the book itself, and thus they keep this experience in their library for ever.
The awarded fairy-tale "The Quiltmaker's Gift" and "The Quiltmaker's Journey" are thus presented for the first time to the Greek public in a theatre form.

The ID of the performance
Drama adaptation-lyrics: Takis Chryssoulis
Direction: Melina Papanestoros
Music: Anastasia Papadimitriou
Cast: Μelina Papanestoros, Aliki Katsavou, Dimitra Yannakopoulou, Elena Roumelioti

Takis Chryssoulis' rock tragedy "Orpheus is alive" at Athens' Elyze Theatre

A theatre company is rehearsing the play "Orpheus and Eurydice." Director, impresario and actor Hades and the leading actor Orpheus have an extremely competitive relationship. The young leading actress Eurydice becomes without her knowledge the "apple of discord" between those two... The Educational Drama Institute "Theatromathia" and "Protoporia" Theatre Company are presenting Takis Chryssoulis' play "Orpheus is alive" from October 21 till the end of season at Athens' Elyze Theatre. Director of the performance is Thanassis Theologis.
The characters of the play have the same names with those they are pretending to be. In this way, real life mixes upo with the rehearsals and the stage becomes a field of creation, claim, contrast, power, death and rebirth, while all seven deadly sins are presented through conflicts (Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Pride, Lust, Envy).
As the theatre company comments, the play is "a modern rock tragedy; an original proposal, based on the writing and structure of tragedy, presented on stage in combination with rock music."
The performance has, in this way, two levels: the use of "realistic theatre" that presents the characters living their routine and the use of Black Theatre that shows them acting and rehearsing their roles.

The ID of the performance
Duration: 120'
Texts: Takis Chryssoulis
Direction: Thanassis Theologis
Score: Yuri Stupel
Stage settings-costumes: Anna Mahairianaki
Choreography: Tania Miltenova
Cast: Paul Zachariadis, Aliki Katsavou, Michalis Katsoulis, Vassilis Milios, Eva Alexandri, Ioanna Delakou, Isabella Lattarini, Gisella Magli

The Quiltmaker's Gift at the Polyxoros of Agyra Publications

The awarded fairy tale "The Quiltmaker's Gift" inspired Takis Chryssoulis to make the theatre adaptation of this performance presented every Saturday morning from November 20, 2004, to March 19, at the Multi-Purpose Centre of Agyra Publications, in Athens' Solonos Street.This co-production of Agyra Publications and the Educational Drama Institute of Greece "Theatromathia" is realised in the context of a wider program of theatre adaptations, under the general title: "Children learn about theatre."

The story is about a wise and generous quiltmaker, who has magic in her fingers and love for humanity in her heart. she sews the most beautiful quilts in the world and gives each one away for free to people in need. A greedy king, his castle overflowing with riches and treasures, never smiles and yearns for the one thing that will bring him laughter and happiness. As the story unfolds, the reader watches the king as he learns the most valuable lesson of his life.

In the play the "The Quiltmaker's Gift" three actrors, under the guidance of Takis Chryssoulis, take us to the magic world of a modern fairy tale that speaks about the joy of offering.
Through this theatre performance it is attempted to stimulate children's creative imagination showing them at the same time the lesson that exists within every myth. Instead of a ticket in hand, children get the book itself, and thus they keep this experience in their library for ever.
The awarded fairy tale "The Quiltmaker's Gift" is presented for the first time to the Greek public in a theatre form.

The ID of the performance
Text-director: Takis Chryssoulis
Music: Anastasia Papadimitriou
Cast: Μelina Papanestoros, Aliki Katsavou, Yorgos Gatsios

Children meet Wilde's Selfish Giant at the Multiplace of Agyra Publications

Agyra Publications and the Educational Drama Institute of Greece "Theatromathia" present one of the most wonderful and touching fairy-tales ever written from April 2 and on, at the Multiplace of the Publications. Oscar Wilde's "The Selfish Giant" -dramatized, just like all the performances of the Institute, by Takis Chryssoulis- is a most educative (and symbolic) fairy-tale and becomes alive for the young friends of theatre and reading, every Saturday noon, till June 11, directed by Melina Papanestoros.
Once there was a Giant who forbade children from playing in his garden, so it was Winter there and never Spring. One day the children sneaked into the garden to play and Spring returned -- except for one corner, and one tree, where a little boy too small to reach the branches wept. This melted the Giant's heart, and seeing how selfish he'd been, he decided to help child into tree and make the garden a playground.
But when the giant appeared, the children ran away -- all except for the little boy who was crying and so didn't see. When the Giant raised the boy into the tree, the child kissed him in gratitude. The other children saw this and returned to play in the garden. Meanwhile, the child whom the Giant had placed in the tree vanished, and the other children did not know who he was, or where he had gone.
The children returned often to play in garden, but the Giant looked in vain for his special friend. Years passed, and the Giant was old. It was Winter again in the garden, except in one corner, where he saw the little boy playing. The Giant greeted his long lost friend, but was angered to find child had been wounded on his hands and feet. The Giant demanded to know what had happened so he could avenge such a terrible crime.
Nay!" answered the child; "but these are the wounds of Love." The Giant, feeling a strange awe, asked the child who he was. "And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, "You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise." When children came into garden that day to play, they found the Giant, once upon a time known as "selfish", was dead.
Summary source: Cornerstone Magazine
The ID of the performance
Drama adaptation-lyrics: Takis Chryssoulis
Direction: Melina Papanestoros
Music: Anastassia Papadimitriou
Choreography: Marios Symeonidis
Cast: Aliki Katsavou, Yorgos Gatsios, Yorgos Fountis

Takis Chryssoulis' "Eternal Miracle" performed in the island of Tenos

Three years ago, Takis Chryssoulis' play "Eternal Miracle" premiered at Elyse Theatre. The play continued being performed in Athens for all these years. Now, the performances in the Greek capital are completed. The Educational Drama Institute "Theatromathia" presents the play in the island of Tenos for only one evening (Saturday, April 3, 2004). More specifically, the performance takes place at the Youth Centre of the Evangelistria Foundation of Tenos.
This is not the first time Takis Chryssoulis deals with a "religious" play. In fact, another similar play he wrote is being presented at the time at Eleftheri Ekfrasi Theatre (Athens): "Fotis Kontoglou from Ayvalik." And while in that play he tells the story of the Greek icon-painter, in "Eternal Miracle" he tells the story of St. Mary of Egypt's story.
The play is completely focuses on the life of a woman declared saint by the Orthodox Church. Mary denied a life of demoralisation and turned to religious life, asceticism and denial of worldly matters.
According to the biographies found, Mary was born in Egypt in 345. Her extraordinary beauty lead her to a quite wild way of life, looking always for carnal satisfaction, while she was still young (about 12-years-old). Mary continued living like this for the next 17 years. At the age of 30 she decided to go to Jerusalem to genuflect the Holly Cross. A strange power wouldn't let her do that. This is what made Mary realise what she was missing while trying to satisfy her ephemeral needs and turn to asceticism.
Takis Chryssoulis combined the religious tradition with elements of ancient tragedy. This is made clear at the point Mary meets self-knowledge and together, catharsis and redemption.

The ID of the performance
Text-director: Takis Chryssoulis
Stage settings-costumes: Anna Maherianaki
Music: Yiorgos Voukanos
Lightings: Prokopis Dafnou
Cast: Artemis Apostolopoulou, Yiorgos Voutos, Constantinos Zabaras, Aliki Katsavou, Vassilis Milios, Melina Papanestoros and Marios Symeonidis

Theater as an educational tool

An interesting seminar in Kessariani, Athens

"Theater as an educational tool" is the title of the seminar organized by the Educational Drama Institute "Theatromathia" in cooperation with the Aeolian Cultural Center and the Municipalitu of Kessariani, from November 15 to December 21, 2003. The program of total duration of 36 hours, is addressed to educators and students of theoretical orientation in paedagogic and drama schools.

The issues analyzed in the context of the seminar are related to education through theater and the methods, principles and rules that define the relationship of theater and education.
Among others, also taught are drama-improvization, dramatization, acting, theater games, the Orf and Kondaly music education systems, as well as theater direction of school groups.
Through this program, participants are guided to a way that makes learning and teaching an "entertainment." Thus, they will be able to see in practice theater as an educational tool in their schools. They will learn to work with their students through the theater and they will encourage them to enter imaginative worlds that will help them explore safely important issues related to history, tradition, literature, science and their very personality or life itself.

Teachers in this seminars are actor, director and author Takis Chryssoulis and actresses Melina Papanestoros and Aliki Katsavou.

The classes of the seminar take place every Saturday and Sunday (10:30-13:30).