Acting Tragedy in Twentieth-Century Greece: The Case of Electra by Sophocles Michaela Antoniou Goldsmiths, University of London Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Drama Department 1 The work presented in this thesis is my own. Michaela Antoniou 2 Abstract This thesis discusses the acting techniques employed by actors for tragedy on the Greek stage during the twentieth century. It argues that there were two main acting schools – ‘school’ here meaning an established unified style of acting shared by a group of actors and directors. The first, starting with the 1936 production of Electra by Sophocles directed by Dimitris Rontiris’s at the National Theatre of Greece and running through roughly to the late 1970s, developed from a vocal/rhetorical/text-based approach. The second, established by Karolos Koun’s Theatro Technis in 1942 and which can be said to have ended with his death in 1987, was based on a bodily/physical one. The thesis examines the ways in which these two schools combined and influenced acting, creating new tendencies in the last three decades of the twentieth century. The focus here is on tragedy because this genre is presented on the Greek stage regularly, and, therefore, it is an eloquent example of the evolution of acting in Greece. Sophocles’s Electra has been chosen as a case study not only because the play was frequently staged throughout the twentieth century, but primarily because it was acted and directed by important actors and directors who occupied quite different positions within the Greek theatre field. Thus it is a play that provides the most potent example of the development of the acting schools in question. This thesis is an empirical study using Greek actors and directors as its primary source. In giving them a strong voice, it follows their creative process and their perception of their roles and productions. At the same time, it provides a historical context for understanding the conditions of Greek theatre life and their impact on Greek actors and their work. 3 Contents List of Illustrations page 5 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 1 The Foundations of Greek Theatre, 1830 – 1930 21 2 From the National Theatre to the Theatro Technis, 1930-1942 77 3 The National Theatre and its Legacy, 1936-1978 128 4 Karolos Koun and the Theatro Technis, 1942-1987 185 5 Acting Schools of the National Theatre and the Theatro Technis. Productions of Electra: 1972-1996 235 6 Alternate perspectives. Productions of Electra: 1983-1998. The Attis Theatre 296 Conclusion 352 Bibliography 357 4 Illustrations 1. Jean Mounet-Sully as Oedipus in Sophocles’s Oedipus the King. The play was performed in Athens in 1889 page 34 2. The stage alterations of the indoor venue of the theatre Olympia for Fotos Politis’s production of Oedipus the King 59 3. The set of the 1927 production of Hecuba directed by Fotos Politis at the Panathenian Stadium 59 4. The Delphic Celebrations in 1927 – The Chorus and set of Prometheus Bound 69 5. The Delphic Celebrations in 1930 – The Chorus and set of The Suppliants 69 6. Katina Paxinou as Electra in the National Theatre’s production of Electra directed by Dimitris Rontiris at the Herodus Atticus Theatre, 1936 95 7. The National Theatre’s production of Electra directed by Dimitris Rontiris at the Herodus Atticus Theatre, 1936 – Katina Paxinou as Electra and the Chorus 99 8. The National Theatre’s production of Electra directed by Dimitris Rontiris at the Herodus Atticus Theatre, 1936 – Katina Paxinou as Electra and the Chorus 103 9. Marika Kotopouli as Electra in the 1939 Kotopouli Company production of Electra directed by Karolos Koun 113 10. Nikos Engolopoulos’s set for the Kotopouli Company Electra 116 11. Clytemnestra, the Pedagogue, Electra and the Chorus – Electra by the National Theatre directed by Dimitris Rontiris, 1938 146 12. Eleni Hatziargiri as Electra and Hristos Parlas as Orestes – Electra by the National Theatre directed by Dimitris Rontiris, 1978 154 13. Electra and the Chorus – Electra by the National Theatre directed by Dimitris Rontiris, 1978 156 14. Electra by the National Theatre directed by Takis Mouzenidis at the Epidaurus Theatre, 1961 – Electra and the Chorus 162 15. Anna Sinodinou as Electra in Electra by the National Theatre directed by Takis Mouzenidis at the Epidaurus Theatre, 1961 165 16. Electra by the Peiraiko Theatro directed by Dimitris Rontiris, 1960 – Electra and the Chorus 168 17. Aspasia Papathanasiou as Electra in Electra by the Peiraiko Theatro directed by Dimitris Rontiris, 1960 170 18. Electra by the Helliniki Skene directed by Thanos Kotsopoulos at the Lycabetus Theatre, 1967 – The Pedagogue, Clytemnestra, Electra and the Chorus. View of the set 174 5 19. Anna Sinodinou as Electra in Electra by the Helliniki Skene directed by Thanos Kotsopoulos at the Lycabetus Theatre, 1967 176 20. Aspasia Papathanasiou as Electra in Electra directed by Aspasia Papathanasiou at the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio, 1977 182 21. Orestes, Pylades and the Chorus in Electra directed by Aspasia Papathanasiou at the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio, 1977 182 22. Dionisis Fotopoulos’s set of Electra for the Theatro Technis production in Epidaurus, 1984 227 23. Reni Pittaki as Electra and Yiannis Rigas as Orestes in Electa by the Theatro Technis directed by Karolos Koun at Epidaurus, 1984 230 24. Electra by the National Theatre directed by Spyros Evangelatos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1972 – The Chorus. View of the set 239 25. Antigone Valakou as Electra in Electra by the National Theatre directed by Spyros Evangelatos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1972 243 26. Electra directed by Minos Volanakis at the State Theatre of Northern Greece – Electra and the Chorus 251 27. Anna Sinodinou as Electra in the production of the State Theatre of Northern Greece directed by Minos Volanakis 253 28. Electra by the Theatro tis Anoixis directed by Yiannis Margaritis at the theatre of Halandri, 1984 – The set 260 29. Electra by the Theatro tis Anoixis directed by Yiannis Margaritis at the theatre of Halandri, 1984 – The Pedagogue, Orestes and the Chorus 262 30. Natasa Zouka as Electra in Electra by the Theatro tis Anoixis directed by Yiannis Margaritis at the theatre of Halandri, 1984 264 31. Leda Tasopoulou as Electra in Electra by the Amphi-theatre directed by Spyros Evangelatos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1991 269 32. Leda Tasopoulou as Electra and the Chorus in Electra by the Amphi- theatre directed by Spyros Evangelatos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1991 271 33. Electra by the State Theatre of Northern Greece directed by Andreas Voutsinas at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1992 – Electra, Chrysothemis and the Chorus. View of the set 278 34. Electra by the National Theatre directed by Lydia Koniordou at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1996 – Electra and the Chorus 288 35. Lydia Koniordou as Electra and Aspasia Papathanasiou as Clytemnestra in Electra by the National Theatre directed by Lydia Koniordou at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1996 292 36. Electra by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation directed by Mihalis Kakoyiannis at the Epidaurus Theatre, 1983 – The Chorus. View of the set 301 6 37. Electra by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation directed by Mihalis Kakoyiannis at the Epidaurus Theatre, 1983 – Irene Pappas as Electra and Annita Santorinaiou as Chrysothemis 304 38. Electra by the Karezi-Kazakos Company directed by Robert Sturua at the Theatre of Epidaurus – Jenny Karezi as Electra and the Chorus 312 39. Jenny Karezi as Electra in the 1987 production of Electra directed by Robert Sturua by the Karezi-Kazakos Company 314 40. Marietta Rialdi as Electra in the 1985 production of Electra by the Peiramatiko Theatro tis Polis directed by Marietta Rialdi at the Fix ice factory 321 41. Electra directed by Nikos Diamantis at the Theatro Semio, 1996 – Ioanna Makri as Electra, Vagelio Andreadaki as Clytemnestra and the Chorus 325 42. Electra directed by Nikos Diamantis at the Theatro Semio, 1996 – The Chorus 328 43. Electra by the Theatre Company ‘diplous eros’ directed by Mihail Marmarinos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1998 – Amalia Moutousi as Electra and Constantinos Avarikiotis as Orestes 334 44. Amalia Moutousi as Electra in Electra by the Theatre Company ‘diplous eros’ directed by Mihail Marmarinos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1998 337 45. Electra by the Theatre Company ‘diplous eros’ directed by Mihail Marmarinos at the Theatre of Epidaurus, 1998 – Amalia Moutousi as Electra and Nonika Galinea as Clytemnestra 339 7 Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (Ίδρσμα Κραηικών Υποηροθιών) for granting me a three-year scholarship without which it would have been impossible to write this thesis. I am especially grateful to the Director of Scholarships Ioanna Adamantiadou for her help all these years. This thesis would not have been complete without the aid of several institutions and members of their staff: the Theatre Museum (Θεαηρικό Μοσζείο) of Athens and Eva Georgousopoulou, who provided me with all illustrations for this thesis except illustrations number 1, 20 and 21; the Theatre Library (Θεαηρική Βιβλιοθήκη) of Athens and Kostis Stavaris, the DESMI Centre Centre for the Ancient Greek Drama – Research and Practical Applications (Κένηρο Έρεσνας και Πρακηικών Δθαρμογών ηοσ Αρταίοσ Δλληνικού Γράμαηος «Γεζμοί»), the National Theatre’s Library (Βιβλιοθήκη Δθνικού Θεάηροσ), the State Theatre of Northern Greece’s Archive (Αρτείο Κραηικού Θεάηροσ Βόρειας Δλλάδας), the Cyprus Theatre Organisation’s Archive (Αρτείο Θεαηρικού Οργανιζμού Κύπροσ) and the Greek Literary and Historic Archive (Δλληνικό Λογοηετνικό και Ιζηορικό Αρτείο). My deepest thanks must go to actors, directors, academics and theatre critics, who honoured me by agreeing to lend me their voices and whose words are quoted in this study. These theatre people in alphabetical order are: actor and director Antonis Antoniou; director Nikos Diamantis; director and academic Spyros Evangelatos; theatre-critic and academic Kostas Georgousopoulos; actor Haris Grigoropoulos; actress Keti Hronopoulou; actress Maria Konstantarou; actress Miranda Oikonomidou; actress Reni Pittaki; actress Thalia Prokopiou; actress Marietta Rialdi, director Theodoros Terzopoulos; and actor Dimitris Vayias.