National Theatre of Greece — Garage (Foyer)
First performance: January 26, 2003
Last performance: April 20, 2004
Poems are imprints of courage and sensitivity. They do not fade away, they never “end”. This performance, however, will have to end at some point. It resembles life in that way.
We encountered approximately two thousand poems, before the economy of the stage forced us to narrow our selection down to thirty-three.
For the actors, as well as for me, this is a crucial moment. This endeavour began as an attempt to test our theatrical vocabulary. And at the same time, it was an exploration carried out along the lines of our personal identity, always in relation to the historical trajectory and common ground. We had to traverse our own path, guided and accompanied by the poets we selected.
But how do poems take on theatrical form without betraying their very nature? I will answer that question with a story. About the poet who searched everywhere for a word, couldn’t find it anywhere, and eventually learned that this word had not yet been discovered, so he had to invent it himself.
All of us, actors, contributors to the performance, including myself, feel the need to thank the poets who generously bestowed their verses upon us. Many of these exceptional verses will not be heard in the performance. We hold their echo within us, along with the gift of sensitivity and the audacity of those that we ultimately did choose.
And yet, they all should be heard, and this should have no end…
Stathis Livathinos, That Which Has No End: 20th Century Greek Poetry. From the programme of the performance.
Dramaturg: Stathis Livathinos, in collaboration with Stratis Paschalis
Directed by: Stathis Livathinos
Set & Costume Design: Sotiris Stelios
Music: Nikos Platanos
Lyricist: Stratis Paschalis
Movement: Mariella Nestora
Lighting Design: Zafeiris Epameinondas
Assistant Directors: Lena Zarkadoula, Katerina Evangelatou, Stratis Panourios
Assistant Set & Costume Designers: Katerina Kalfoglou, Victoria Karvouni, Amaltheia Sampson
The music of the performance is performed live by the composer and cast.
Titos Patrikios – Supplication: Alexandros Logothetis
Nikos Fokas – Proposal for a New Theatre: Vassilis Andreou
Nanos Valaoritis – Women Words: Yannis Mavritsakis
Yannis Varveris – Wild Discotheque: Dimitris Imellos
Matzi Hatzilazarou – Elemental Inclinations (excerpt): Maria Nafpliotou
Christoforos Liontakis – “The Scent Carves Upon the Mirror…”: Alexandros Logothetis
Kiki Dimoula – I Left You a Message: Maria Savvidou
Dinos Christianopoulos – The Sea: Yannis Mavritsakis | Panagiotis Bougiouris
Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke – Lypiou (excerpt): Alexandra Lerta
Michalis Ganas – A Christmas Story: Dimitris Imellos
Yiorgos Veltsos – Daedalus: Alexandros Logothetis
Napoleon Lapathiotis – The Poor Little Birds: Panagiotis Bougiouris
Napoleon Lapathiotis – At the Night Club: Dimitris Imellos
Kostas Karyotakis – “Which God’s Will Governs Us…”: Yannis Mavritsakis
Manos Eleftheriou – Indications of Ancient Days: Stathis Grapsas
Napoleon Lapathiotis – Erotic Bitterness: Alexandra Larta
Aris Alexandrou – For the Bride: Nikos Kardonis
Giorgos Seferis – The Last Station: Dimitris Imellos
Kostis Palamas – Sunrise: Nikos Kardonis
Yiannis Kontos – In Times of Peace: Panagiotis Bougiouris
Jenny Mastoraki – Catalogue of the Fallen, and What the Expert Doctor Added: Dimitris Papanikolaou
Odysseas Elytis – “My Roots in the Mountains…”: Mariana Lambiri
Miltos Sachtouris – The Carnival: Dimitris Papanikolaou
Constantine P. Cavafy – To Have Taken the Trouble: Nikos Kardonis
Kiki Dimoula – Furnace Easter: Natalia Stylianou
Nikos Engonopoulos – Poem-Imitation of Many Psalms Adapted for an Exclusively Male Choir to Perform to the Church Music of Johann Sebastian Bach: Aris Troubakis
Manolis Anagnostakis – Now I Speak Again…: Aris Troupakis
Andreas Embirikos – The Life: Katerina Evangelatou
Alexandros Baras – Parachutist: Nikolaos Papagiannis
Yiannis Ritsos – The Monstrous Masterpiece (excerpts): Maria Savvidou
Stratis Paschalis – The Madman and the Devil: Giorgos Dambasis
Kostis Palamas – The House Where I Was Born: Vassilis Andreou