The Foundation of the Hellenic World welcomes
«Lysistrata, a Hilarious Opera!»
by Stamatis Kraounakis
on Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11
at the "Theatron" of the "Hellenic Cosmos" Cultural Centre
Stamatis Kraounakis's Lysistrata returns triumphantly for only 2 performances! Can we say anything new about Lysistrata after so many years? Why does it return with such insistence to the stages of the world? What meaning remains inexhaustible within the heroine's ingenious audacity?
When Aristophanes writes it in 411 BC, he does not make an indirect comment on the position in which Athens finds itself amid the Peloponnesian War. In reality, he hears clearly the political tremors within the walls, where the Assembly of the People has been weakened and the oligarchs are returning to the forefront. With the hidden weapons of art –which do not name but reveal without pointing fingers– he speaks of the source of the ills: the mania for power and domination, which is nothing but a male characteristic, a hollow command that drags the entire society toward destruction. And what is the antidote? A resounding slap in the face of this sad masculinity. When Aristophanes moves woman from the sphere of the ‘House’ to the sphere of the ‘City’, he is not simply employing a theatrical device, but a political shift of seismic proportions. The heroine not only calls the women of Athens –and from other cities, hostile ones!– to a ‘sex strike’, but creates a river of femininity that sweeps away the certainties of the world, proposing another solution that the others hasten to call utopian and therefore impractical. Any similarities with the present situation are purely coincidental.
It is therefore a particularly fortunate coincidence that the work has been adapted by Stamatis Kraounakis, as it leaves us wondering what will emerge from the encounter between Aristophanes' sparkling spirit and his unrestrained musical imagination. The composer creates a polyphonic operetta that gives equal prominence to music and speech, all tuned to the key of the poet's relentless satire. At times lyrical, at times popular, at times a sarcastic cabaret, the music becomes a vehicle for the action, while the sung word ideally complements this Aristophanic fusion, releasing allusions to the present and further fueling the overflowing theatricality of the performance. At the same time, internationally acclaimed set designer Takis dresses the performance in an entirely contemporary aesthetic that fits with the historical context of the work, resulting in an irresistible visual feast. On the theatre stage, thirty distinguished performers and musicians come together.
In the play, the women seize the Acropolis –where the public treasury is located– in order to paralyze the men's war machine. For two nights, their magnificent theatrical ghosts will hover directly above us, allowing this wild river to flow once again at the command of Stamatis Kraounakis, flooding the tiers at the Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Centre (Antigone Hall) until it reaches the stage and once again sweeping away the certainties of the world.
For years it chased me like an obligation. Again and again and again. First of all, the text. Then notes, music, introductions. Some songs from our first staging with Lakis and Voutsinas and Lina. But this Lysistrata was me in my time.
That is, Lena who wore me close to her skin. And then all my other heroes!
Christoforos, Christos, Stella, Sofia, Maria, Spanakis, Steve, Karathanasis, the god Apollo, Kostas Bougiotis, Elena
Which god, I don't even know, Theologos, this time without his violin but with his entire existence.
Minus three on the roof, Aphrodite Panagiotakou, her tenderness,
Dimitra, Dimitra. Konstantinos, Despina, Despina, Despina.
Nobody wanted it and nobody believed in it. Nobody except Michail who saw it through!
Five months of rehearsals immersed in its substance.
The audience on its feet at the Herodion for two consecutive days.
My Takis from London with the costumes and the unique set, which, let's be honest, we saw copied here and there, as usually happens when something reaches the top!
Takis Georgas, our producer, Nicole from the festival by our side.
The girls Julietta and Chrysantina
The first stage was joy and then a furtive silence: “come on, it was good, pretend it never happened”!
Our now very familiar national care.
I managed, contrary to my character, to enter the sea of love and enjoy it together with my exceptional beloved people who brought it to life, and my partner Dimitrios Andreadis, who was always there and carried the rehearsal on the piano and calmed me down when I got angry and also prepared the other musicians, and we made it.
And the other musicians gave it their all too.
And Stella Kaltsou, my love, who illuminated it from the depths of her soul, and my baby Marilena, an ever-watchful guardian! By my side from beginning to end.
And at the end she even jumped onto the stage. And of course she knew everything. All-night conversations: Athens, London, Koropi, Kypseli, Agiou Meletiou, Agios Stefanos, Petralona. Anna Dalara standing beside us and Nikos Kaltsas sending images of vases for him to take, and my Theodoros Panas who celebrated the dances.
And Venice, of course, and Spyros, of course, the beloved youngsters, the newcomers.
Oh my God, and we had another success at Lycabettus, which I was trembling about, the theatre packed there too, the mayor insisted and he was right.
Now we are going to the "Theatron" of the "Hellenic Cosmos" Cultural Centre, Saturday, October 10 & Sunday, October 11.
This Lysistrata is me, Stamatis in my time, still standing with strong companions. Today, I can say that the festival suggested that we take it to Epidaurus on August 15, when there was an available date. I did not accept for two reasons. The first is that I would have signed a finale.
The second is that the following Saturday the State Theatre of Northern Greece would perform its own Lysistrata by Aristophanes, and I considered it slightly inappropriate toward Asterios and the people of the state theatre, who have treated me exceptionally well.
Our Lysistrata, after all, is clearly Stamatis's.
A new, lucid and eternal heroine.
My baby, my love, Argyro, how grateful I am that you agreed to play and sweep away the Spartan woman.
And something about the direction, which is not officially my job, although I have been staging performances since 2000. An important issue with direction, especially in musical theatre, is understanding and awareness of the selected musical text and its correct note, in summary. Accents, feelings and meaning. That is of great importance. So much so that when the cast stood up, almost everything was natural. Add to that Takis's excellent and highly functional set. After that, everything was easy.
Stamatis Kraounakis
