Philippos Philippou Interview at www.mcf.gr

The director of the performance Tales of Mystery and Horror from Japan talks to Achilleas Kourias

Buzz seems to prepossess us in favor of your theater company actions, in terms of fuss provoking. In other words, somebody would claim that the name of your team inclines us to believe that you are here in order to bring turbulence in stagnant waters. Is it all about an effort of reversal, as far as straight theatrical patterns and forms are concerned? If it is so, how this performance aims to contribute to this procedure?

I cannot bear it any more, I cannot watch any longer this traditional theater, which has predominated in Greece at the moment. It is the situation of the Grand-Director, the Grand-Actor and the Grand-Movement Master (in the bad sense of the words), who try to create a performance. On the other hand indeed, there are directors and art-people in general, who have offered to the arts, through their character, their work and mainly their principles, masterpieces of inconceivable beauty and inspiration for the forthcoming generations. You can still, then, watch a structure, at least from the moment I can remember, since 1997 when I started watching theater, that is exactly the same, nothing has changed on that thing. It is always this; you step out on the stage to say the words (act), then your co-leading actor steps out as well, to say her words along with you, two ballets step out in the end, and actually that was all of it. Finally we are all being applauded by the crowd and we are done! This thing is something I am not interested in at all. I do say that in order to protect (prevent) myself as well from that. I would never like to do such a type of theater. If theater is not constant study on a subject, then it has nothing to do with the real theater. It is crucial to carry on a research, to look for new forms, new ways and new images in order to say what you want to the audience. From that point, you go further and you discover other important matters. This is the real reason that motivates you for instance, and so on and so forth

The majority of people claim that there is an established system, like the Academia of the neoclassic times, which sets norms and patterns for the artistic creation/ expression. Have you ever felt such a thing?

Definitely! This usually starts happening already from the drama school years. It is actually originated from the unskilled tutors. I begun studying acting, although I always liked and was more interested in directing, just because I wanted to understand and experience how an actor performs on the stage and then focus on directing. By the way, there is no theater directing school in
Greece, in the country, in which, as we all proudly support, theater was born, and having that in mind, you just want to shoot yourself There is no theater academy; there is no framework, no rules to regulate this thing, called theater, we are all possessed by apathy. Thousands of actors graduate annually and all those poor ones do not know what to do. We have teachers in drama schools, who are empirical and nothing more, who actually work as if they were traffic cops: They say, You have to step out on the stage here, you have to say this and that(a-b-c-d), then you have to move a bit your hand like this here Show me a method, this is all I am asking for, there is no method anywhere, isnt it terrible? Not only in theater, everywhere in our lives.

Are you referring to a phenomenon of amateurishness?

No, it is not exactly this, because amateurishness signifies a notion of love and passion for what you do, it is probably ignorance.

What approximately the audience should expect from the performance that is going to watch?

As I observe European proceedings with information I gather from the web as well as friends who live abroad, currently all around Europe, storytelling has penetrated everywhere. Everything is narration. This is what we try to do with this performance. We chose narrative theater which has been dilated by Peter Brooke and so many other great people and we make an effort to introduce it gradually in Greece again. We try to transmit the picture to the spectator through our words.

Do you believe that experimentation and novelty can find space for expression easily in our countrys cultural proceedings?

It is very difficult on account of money lack. It is widely believed in Greece that working on theater means that you are doing just your hobby, whereas theater is our job. This is the way that we would like to be treated. It is our job, this is how we earn our living, this way I have to pay my rent, with this money I want to pay off my bills, and this is how we do want to earn our living as I said before. Why theater and arts in general have to be treated by people just as a high culture conception? It may be labeled as quaint, what I am going to say now, but as the dustman is a professional so as the actor should be one. Directing is a profession as well, so as the commercial artist designing and painting. Acting is an indispensable labor, in which, unfortunately, in Greece has predominated the idea of not being well paid, not being covered by insurance fees, not being sponsored if there is no nudity in the plot, or even if there are no celebrity actors involved in that and so many other things.

Does theater guild reject novelty when this contravenes commercialism?

Surely, some time or other you are forced to do things that you dont like, in order to earn just 800 per month, it is unbelievable. On the other hand, you see all those fat politicians sitting in big offices, enjoying highly respected posts, all those who amuse themselves by travelling from Mykonos to Santorini, who travel abroad in order to discuss a bit with their corresponding persons in Europe If this is proper politics, I am an astronaut. However, as you can see, despite my alarmism words, there are a lot of young people who try hard. Just bear in mind that annually 450 performances take place in Athens, which comparably means that we have the most theatrical plays globally, New York for instance has not as many every year. You see young artists who try it very hard, who fight for it. The question quite often is instead of trying to build something new, to create a new form, to bring along a new proposal, in all that chaos of information and arts in general, to end up trying to create something that would help you to be noticed, in order to become a celebrity one day, to get the leading role. I strongly believe that everything has to be initiated through team work. Without any doubt, the final decision has to be taken by one person, I do accept that, but you cannot be an omniscient, you cannot know everything, you need people all around you, as they need you as well, it is all about conciliation, a debate of different points of view in order to reach a conclusion, a clear statement, an immovable viewpoint.

If we would attempt to trace the Buzz Theater identity, which characteristics would be the ones that we should focus on the most?

This time we chose to approach these texts in a narrative manner, through the mask. It is around fourteen roles and we have three actors on stage, on purpose as well as because of financial strait. Furthermore you set off through your difficulties and you become innovative, this way you explore and find things. Not to be misconceived, I do not consider our effort pioneering. It has happened and it will happen again throughout the world and in Greece as well. It has came true successfully in Greece several times in the past by many teams, such as Simos Katalas with the team Choros, that has worked a lot on narrative theater through the mask, creating spectacular shows. At this moment, we have collectively eventuated to a model where: Since I dont know very well narration, mask, or movement and voice technique, me as the director, I called Athina Trevlia in order to teach us phonetics, Thodoris Ekonomidis to work on the mask, Mania Maratou to teach narration and Marios Mettis to work on movement. I have to collect all these pieces of information that have been given to the actors and do montage. It is like working on a sequence for a movie, using a montage program, and trying to compose images into a film in fact. It is the first time that we work this way. Until the moment, we have worked already three weeks as if it was a seminar, where all the experts mentioned above came to show us techniques while we were all absorbing like sponges all that information. Now we venture to make a synthesis out of all this. It is a model, we realized that functions perfectly and we want to propose it, to say, guys, that is a proper method that worked for us, take it, work on it, improve it, transform it into something different or reject it. It is exactly this that I think is missing from Greek theater at the moment.

Will the spectator be able to distinguish the approach of the narrative style that you follow, shorn on the stage? In other words, are the method and the technique that are laid in close up in comparison with the entity of the show?

In fact the spectator is not interested in the technique that is used by the actor. It is like listening to a singer who has strains over his head. I do not care if the actor acts with his/ her feelings or in this or the other way. My concern is the image to be conveyed by the actors words to the spectators mind. As Mania Maratou sais where lies the story guys? The story lies in you, the actor? Or lies in the spectator? Whereas the story lies somewhere in the middle. It is like actors and audience holding constantly a fibre, which has to be always stretched and never cut, so as the information flows smoothly. Whereon there is not something isolated in the performance. For instance we now watch technique, now is the mask or the actors feeling and so on and so forth. It is a mixed outcome, an image synthesis. The differentiation compared to an ordinary play consists of the form used, the mask and the narration. For example, when you narrate a story or even a joke, the thing that you accomplish is to convey an image into your listeners mind. You have no stage prop, no stage, nothing. The image is what really concerns us, in regards of the narration. Thereafter, putting on the mask, the performer acts with the form, just because the mask doesnt allow you to be normal human, you are transformed in a way into a cartoon, lets say, you present the shape of the things. Consequently, we have narration, form, and mask. Three different elements put together. The performer forced by the mask has to act with his/her body shape and scenario. He or she has no other arts and crafts. With a combination of ways since the body often drives the things that have to be said. It is not possible to have only one thing on the stage, for example a guy just walking on the stage. In conclusion, technique is something that doesnt concern anyone. No one is concerned if I have studied for 60 years guitar and now I can play for you a very nice blues You just ask for the result, nothing more, the differentiation is all about our approach to the texts.

Mania Maratou talks about a magic of narration, how do you define this element?

If you look for oral narrations from Homer times till today, have not managed to reach us even in one per cent. Though, they have managed to carry along historic events that took place ages ago and finally made it to reach us. It is in there that you can find the little truths. Undoubtedly the event is being transferred through the myth. Now, where the myth ends to let the truth start, is something that doesnt concern me. It is enough that this wonderful piece of information managed to reach me.

The performance Tales of Horror and Mystery since as a dramaturgic proposal is a constant study on narration, is differentiated compared to an ordinary theatrical performance?

A lot of people come and ask the duration of the performance. I respond that I dont really know. Although we have stated that is going to be 1 hour and a half, I think that it can be longer or even shorter than that. We have trained audience in watching productions in fast forward. We try to create speedy performances just because everything else all around us is fast. On the other hand, we cannot understand that if I stand for a while, just breathing, I could imbibe so many things from the nature, or the people all around me. In fact I recommend what I personally have done the last few years. I have switched off my television, I dont listen to anything, and I close my eyes to everything. All the producers have been entrapped believing that the spectator comes to the performance having a remote control, ready to change the channel by the time he/ she will be bored. This is a disaster for theater. This spectator does not concern us. Somebody has to go to a performance open minded. Ready to get things instead of emptying his/her thoughts during the performance. This is why nowadays we watch performances in which audience command to the director, the producer etc what is going to be shown even if vice versa is the proper way. Manos Chantzidakis has said: You wont tell me what you are going to listen to, I will tell you! If you dont agree on that, do not come! Stay at home, watching TV where the pussy-cat tells you what to do For instance, they tell you: It rains! Stay at home! Hello, its winter! How the hell not to rain? And this is news!

I am not interested in a deal like this with the spectator. I want you to come open and receptive, in order to listen and understand, to be interested in that, to come back home and the day after still to be thinking of it, something to have been changed, something to have been broken in you. I would like the spectator to come with the best of the intentions. The performance should fill you with power and strength in order to face the day coming, and we are blessed to live in a country, where every day you know that you are able to see the daylight. We dont live in the Nordic circle were night covers everything. We demand the spectators involvement with his spirit as well as his body. To be there 100%! Obviously, if the audience comes to watch a failure, it is going to be mentally absent. It is not going to be persuaded. Availability is necessary regarding both sides in this communication, the audience (emitter) and the spectators (receiver). It is not proper to have either ways encrypted messages where both sides move in one way direction and finally crash onto a wall. Whether we have a joke, or a Homer epos the image conveyance is our aim.

Could you state the reason that tales of horror and mystery having origins in Japanese culture was convenient for your study?

I started participating in a seminar for narration organized by Mania Maratou in 2007 and I realized that, although I am an actor, I had a fear for telling a story, to convey an image, to describe something even outside the theatrical framework. I started reading and discussing about the subject with several people who work on narration. Suddenly I found texts by Edgar Allan Poe, Hector Hugh Munro (Saki), Rionosouke Akoutangawa and Leucadius Hern. I felt for some reason that my study would tend to the Japanese texts, without being able to explain it. It was probably this minimalistic philosophy that is enclosed in them, as well as the obsessions and the morality that is implanted deeply in their culture. Just think that they still do hara-kiri for moral issues. Thats why I am so passionate for those texts. I go to bed and I wake up having these texts in mind the last two years. It is a world completely different from Greece. They respect job so much, that is considered an honor to die while working. Not in an accident, but because of exhaustion. This cultural difference attracted me, even if we cannot understand it coming from another cultural background.

The journey from Drama to Comedy, and vice versa, which purpose serves?

How many times have you watched something that is dramatic, terrifying lets say, and immediately bearing another thought in your mind, you did it comic. That is what we try to explore through this performance. The way that somebody passes from one side (horror) to the other (laughter), without staying at the middle, where realism lies. Both of them are absolutely extreme, therefore you might think that drama is funny and the other way around. In fact, we do play with horror, and its a dimension that is interesting to be evolved.

Was the director or the actor that was attracted and challenged more, in order to study narration in that extend?

I think that both happened. I really miss to act on the stage. On the other hand I have stopped going to auditions, just because I am not interested in nothing that takes place all around me. I dont want to be part of the system that does nothing else but produces, produces having on the other side somebody who constantly consumes, consumes Thats why I decided to participate in seminars and become a director. It has started from the director as well as the actor. What would I really like to act as a performer? This! How would I really like my director to be? This way! Thats what I try to do. To define things again! Can we? Can we be gathered in a place, three thousand people in order to settle things again under discussion, and recreate a framework, working each one of us on his/ her subject? This is the effort in the performances situation, in its space and time. I see a lot of people who try to resist. Resistance for me could mean at least recycle at home. A step to change my own little world, in order to change the world all around us as well.

Have you met supporters of your effort?

I am really glad that we managed to be met, guys having similar interests and the same diligence. All the fellows have been really involved in that, actors and partners, from the very beginning whereas initially they felt insecure just because something completely different of what they were used to, was proposed to them. And although I was about to believe that I would lose them, suddenly you see that everyone, from Rita Zikidou, the stage designer, Elisavet Antapassi who makes our masks, Thodoris Ekonomidis who teaches mask technique, Mania Maratou who tutors narration, Tania Giannouli who supervises the music, Marios Mettis who is responsible for the movement, Athina Trevlia who teaches voice technique, Eleni Moleski and Marina Dimaki who help me in directing, Eliza Alexandropoulou who is lights director, Giorgos Stylianopoulos, Leonardo Sfontouris and Christos Tantalakis who perform and everybody else that helped, to be here, without being paid, in order to work hard, to find something new from ground zero, to collaborate in a team spirit. This really honors me and is an honor for them as well.

Let me tell you how I discovered the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation. I had a conversation with a friend who told me that he would perform in MCF and exactly the same day my proposal was turned down by another cultural center. When I face a problem, I hit the road walking and listening to the music. I said to myself that I could find the solution. This way I ended up by coincidence in Piraeus street 206, outside the Foundation. Why you dont call, I thought! I called, I arranged an appointment, I came, and here we are, in only a few days my proposal was accepted. The circumstances was positive since Mr. Cacoyannis comes from Cyprus and wants to help young Cypriot artists. In addition I would like to mention that the Foundation stuff consists of smiley faces, and that is wonderful. From the reception to the headquarters, everybody will tell you a kind good morning and will be willing to help you. It is very important that there is a Foundation that aims to help houng people. If youngsters are not the future, then what is left to hope for? The 60yearold man that tries to convince me that I have to become a civil servant in order to survive? That would be a nightmare! A poet once said: You should be aware of the guy who found a little roof on top of his head, I am really afraid of those people, who have their eyes and their ears wide shut, and they walk