project BACCHAE (2009-2012)

Poor Pentheas…

His disrespect towards God Dionysus and the punishment that follows have brought him to the point where he possesses an excellent position in the sphere of the tragic.

A chorus jumps out from the text of Euripides’s Bacchae. Their singing is interrupted by the re-enactments –memories of a fact fait accompli – with Pentheas and his fury as main character. A new dramaturgy is set up as a comment to Euripides’s text. In the performance the chorus, the troupe and army of God Dionysus constitutes the basic carrier of the narration.

From Euripides’s multifaceted tragedy, the MITOS group turns their attention on Pentheas’s figure. Theva’s new king expresses the need for moderation and temperance. He reaches sterilization. He fears the Stranger, with a violent reaction to all that he does not understand. The coming of God Dionysus calls us to accept the existence of instincts. He reminds us the need to acknowledge our ritualistic nature and our need for collectiveness.

MITOS theatrical research is based on the tragedy’s ancient Greek text and its interpretation on stage. This is all about MITOS quest towards discovering the group’s theatrical identity.

Creative team
(For Participation in the 16th Festival of Ancient Greek Drama)

Direction/music/set design: Lukas Walewski
Observer: Spyros Charalampous
Adaptation/dramaturgy: Elena Agathokleous, Rania Iacovou
Movement: Lukas Walewski
Vocal leading in open spaces: Diomides Koufteros
Teaching of Indian classical music: Ravi Saundankar
Constaructios: Giorgos Mavrogenis, Menelaos Papagiorgis
Light technician: Menelaos Papagiorgis
Production assistant: Christina Petridou

Casting
Messenger/Agave/Pentheas: Elena Agathokleous
Tiresias/Soldier/Messenger: Diomides Koufteros
Chorus Leader/Dionysus/Cadmus: Lukas Walewski
Chorus: Ravi Saundankar, Diomides Koufteros, Nicolas Arkadiou, Giorgos Onisiforou, Lefkios Demosthenous, Constantinos Melides, Vyronas Athenagorou

Performances and tour
- BACCHAE, 16th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, Kourion Ancient Theatre, Paphos Ancient Odeon and Makarios the Third Amphitheatre, Paphos, July 2012.

- BACCHAE, 3rd mikro festival of ancient drama, the Old Vinegar Factory, Lemesos, March, 2012.
- BACCHAE, open to the public rehearsals for discussion, the Old Vinegar Factory, Lemesos, January 2012.
- BACCHAE, the grief of Pentheas, the Old Vinegar Factory, Lemesos, November 2010.
- BACCHAE, the grief of Pentheas, performances for the students of the Technological University of Cyprus, the Old Vinegar Factory, Lemesos, November 2010.
- BACCHAE, the grief of Pentheas, 1st Experimental Theatre Festival, with co-organizers the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the theatrical group SOLO FOR THREE and Lefkosia Municipality. At PERASMA, Ammochostos Gate, Lefkosia, October 2010.
- BACCHAE, the grief of Pentheas, Avignon’s OFF Festival Cyprus’s official participation with 18 performances, France, July 2010.
- Metrita, the grief of Pentheas, 1st mikro festival of ancient drama, the Old Vinegar Factory, January 2010.
- Metrita, the grief of Pentheas, open to the public rehearsal fro discussion and performances, the Old Vinegar Factory, July/August, 2009.