“The fan man or How to dress an elephant” by “En dynamei” Theatre Ensemble

“The fan man or how to dress an elephant”
by
“En dynamei” Theatre Ensemble

Tuesday 20 May 2014 at 9pm
&
Wednesday 21 May at 7pm & at 9pm
Michael Cacoyannis Foundation

Weird – Special
Inabilities – “Special” Abilities
Outsider – Deviant
Unacceptable – Unique
Maladjusted – Educable
Retarded – Different

This is a series of everyday, “unique” stories on being different, disability and the people who relate to it. It is the result of the cooperation within a mixed group called “En Dynamei”, which consists of young people with potential abilities, people of the same age, parents and friends. The group “En Dynamei” has been active since 2008. The intention of its artistic pursuits is to incorporate the concept of “different” into the artistic universe.

Through the use of poems, songs, images and documentary features, the play articulates the idea of being different and brings forward people who relate to it. The various snapshots that compose the narration of the play are all inspired by the real experiences of the people who reenact them. In their effort to complete the play, the members of the group were united through the common denominator of creating a novel language to communicate from scratch. A language that can urge the audience to distance themselves from their prejudices and stereotypes, to reflect on the common ground between them and the other and forget about the things that differentiate them for a while.

The successful cooperation between the members with potential abilities and their peers is indicative of the great power a team can exhibit in order to overcome any obstacles and thoroughly integrate all the different aspects of human nature.

“En dynamei” Theatre Ensemble

The intention of the ensemble is to contribute to a form of Art (in this case the art of drama) that is in conflict with the traditional perception of what is socially acceptable, a form of Art that deliberately dissociates itself from conventional approaches to understanding society. Through its artistic pursuits, there is a wish to achieve integration of the “different” and the “deviant” within an artistic framework, as well as to introduce the mixed art group “En dynamei” to a broader theatrical audience, as an active, experimental, artistic entity within society. The play “The fan-man or How to dress an elephant” is the result of the theatre group’s overwhelming need to openly share their personal stories by means of an artistic event.

Eleni Dimopoulou,
Artistic director, Co-Founder and Vice President of En Dynamei Association

Director’s note
“Normal” is undoubtedly a hopeless word. It is a word that must be defined by the norm. Then follows the objective reality ,what is not “normal”, must be “different”, the “other”. Yet, who gave the “other” a negative connotation? And why?

The play “The fan-man” or “How to dress an elephant”, helps communicate stories that relate to disability. Through these stories, there is an intention to embrace the deviant, in order to render it familiar and intimate. On stage, the stories are narrated by “children” and assume the form of child play. Originally, this may have sprung from people’s insistence on referring to people with disabilities as “children”. In the course of the play, however, this approach reveals the potential of the children’s spontaneous nature, as well as their sometimes cruel disposition, to bring to light hidden secrets, to tell the whole truth, the truth as it really is.

Eleni Efthymiou, Director

En Dynamei Association

The “En Dynamei’ Association is seeking to conceive, plan and implement social and cultural events by mixed groups of young people with or without disabilities. By focusing on the recognition of the individual’s personality, freedom of expression, respect for the individual and team work, “En Dynamei” is aiming to promote the growth and development of the abilities of all the people who take part in the events, beyond stereotypes and without discrimination. “En Dynamei” started out in 2008 and became an Association in 2014. Its purpose is to help people with potential abilities (people with disabilities) fully integrate into society and assert their right to a dignified and well-rounded life.

Maria Ioannidou

Co-Founder and President of En Dynamei Association

The fan-man (excerpt from the play)
There was a man
A fan-man.
Instead of a body, he had a hard, metal stick
A propeller for a face
A button where his heart should be
And air instead of brains
Air instead of brains
Air instead of brains
He could fly away in his thoughts
He didnt talk, he rather hummed
He rather hummed, he didnt talk
An irksome hum
Beyond understanding.
And this man
The fan-man
He blew away all who came near him
All who came near him were blown away
Away.
Only few
Very few
Could sit next to him
So they would cool off
In the summer

The road to realizing the play
In their effort to complete the play, the members of the group were united through the common denominator of creating a novel language to communicate from scratch. A language that can urge the audience to distance themselves from their prejudices and stereotypes, to reflect on the common ground between them and the “other” and forget about the things that differentiate them for a while.

The final work is not a readily available theatrical composition; instead, it was developed by the members of the group and the result is a performance that is theatrically and aesthetically appealing, based on the members abilities – so that every single one is motivated to do their best and no one feels excluded from the group at the same time.

Production’s Members
The final work is not a readily available theatrical composition but is the result of the group’s rehearsals. The final composition and editing was carried out by Eleni Efthymiou.

Director-Music selection: Eleni Efthymiou
Set and Costume designer: Elissavet Antapassi
Lighting: Richard Anthony
Video: Dimitris Zahos
Producer-Assistant director: Eleni Dimopoulou
Communications: BrainCo
Photos: Light 16

Cast: Kleio Antonopoulou, Vasso Assikoglou, Maria Dahlythra, Eleftheria Drakoulidou, Margarita Kaenada, Dimitris Kalaganis, Kimon Kalaganis, Anna Kalintseva, Anastasia Kariofylli, Evangelina Kariofylli, Maria Koltsida, Vangelis Kosmidis, Yiota Kouintzoglou, Nikos Kyparissis, Parmenion Kyriakoulis, Efterpi Kosta, Loxandra Loukas, Dimitris Mexis, Angeliki Mousiou, Thanos Nanasis, Mihalis Ntolopoulos.

In the play there are excerpts from the work of: Xavier Durringer, Nikiforos Vrettakos, Tellos Filis, J. M. Coetzee

The play premiered in the Municipal Theatre of Kalamaria ‘Melina Mercouri’, participating in a series of events that celebrate Thessaloniki as the European Youth Capital 2014, as well as in the festival “Theatrical Premieres” in the Municipality of Kalamaria.