Helen by Euripides, directed by Aris Michopoulos [With Russian & English surtitles – Performances organized following arrangement]

Theatre Company THE OTHER SIDE (H ALLH PLEVRA)

The Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, the Greek Cultural Center in Moscow and the tourist agent Golden Travel, in cooperation with the Theatre Company THE OTHER SIDE (H ALLI PLEVRA), that conducts studies, research and gives live performances on scene, of ancient drama plays since 2001, present
during the summer months July and August, for a few performances, on
4,11, 26 July and on 22 August, Eleni by Euripides directed by Aris
Michopoulos, in the theatre of Michael Cacopyanni Foundation with
Russian and English surtitles.

The myth
Eleni
in Euripides tragedy is in Egypt for many years already, in the palace
of Proteus, after whose death his son and successor Theoklymenos,
persists despite her refusal to marry her. In the prologue Eleni who
sat suppliant by the grave of Proteus, she now stands up and presents
herself to the audience in order to explain the reason of her presence
in Egypt and her recourse at the Proteus Grave. She recounts her origin
by saying that she is Tyndareos and Lydas daughter, but without
excluding the case to be Zeus daughter, who is rumoured to have
approached amorously her mother in the form of a swan.

So her calamities start from the victory of Venus during the judgment of
beauty, when Venus in order to ensure her election from Paris she
promised as his reward his marriage to Eleni. But Hera angry about her
defeat, she creates a model (idol) made of cloud which Paris will take
with him, thinking he kidnaps Eleni. Zeus sent Eleni in Egypt by Hermes
to live in Proteus palace, while waiting for her husband Menelaus to
return from war.

Historical context
Eleni
by Eyripides was written in 412 BC and presented for the first time in
the same period, namely when the Sicilian expedition had just ended
with the rout of the Athenian fleet. At the same time the sophist
movement was growing, that had begun to question traditional values and
caused by the criticizing of its representatives a crisis in democracy
and disrespect phenomena.

The productions members highlight:
Perhaps, the element that fascinates the most, as far as this
particular play is concerned, is the transformation. It seems, as if
the myth stares itself in the mirror and sees its own self, smiling,
maybe ironically or even with a slight bitterness. Euripides takes the
story that we all have been taught firstly, before any other text, in
the high school books, that of the Helens rape, and, without changing
anything to the original subject, perverts the image on the mirror, in
a poetic and allusive way.

Name spreads all over, not the body
(Helen line 588). And if the name has been colored with the most
nigrescent colors, as the cause of a bloody war, the object of lust,
the incarnation of the ultimate beauty has flew away like a cloud to
the country of Nile. There settles also the poet the action of his
tragedy, Helen accompanied by her attendant ladies, the meeting as well
as the reunion with Menelaus, Theone who holds in her hands the
solution of the drama, Theoklymenos who desires to have the lady who is
said that caused so much pain with her beauty to Greeks as well as
Trojans.

However The nightingales do not let you fall asleep
at Platres. Because, the reasons may be presented differently, the
body to be replaced by the image. However the facts linger as well as
their effects. Furthermore their eternal value. In no war dead people
return back home. Moreover people can never be taught by death how
hopeless chasing of shadows is, having as conveyance violence and
egoism. It is not just for the instauration of the heroines fame and
name. However, it is all about the sarcasm of those who abused her name
in order to give an excuse to their obsession of chasing empty shirts
so as to fulfill individual longings.

Mirrors, shadows and
images Materials for the performance, all these that someone cannot
touch, all these, which are mirrors and illusions and not the objects
themselves. The aim is to unveil finally those which can touch us more,
which make us feel fear or ashamed. The mirror which shows us not the
image, but our real self.

The
performances are organized for groups as well [60 persons minimum]
following agreement arrangement, for different dates & times,
regarding the availability of the theatre company and the theatre hall.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Translation: Tasos Roussos
Direction: Aris Michopoulos
Choreography: Kostas Antonatos
Music: Christos Theodorou
Scenery: Aris Michopoulos
Costumes: Stamatia Antonatou
Lights: Katerina Papadakou
Dramaturgy: Konni Sofiadou
Photos: Marilena Stafylidou
Actors: Thalea Griva, Yannis Douratsos, Aliki Zacharopoulou, Menelaos Zafiropoulos, Dimitra Kokkori, Despina Malliarou, Chrysostomos Papanikolaou, Panos Troumpounelis, Antigoni Fryda

Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: 20

Information Bookings: Stamatia Antonatou 697 4926755, standonatou@yahoo.gr