Do the Dead Kill the Living?
Four-Day International Symposium on Ancient Drama
In collaboration with the Jagiellonian University of Kraków
18–21 November 2026
Michael Cacoyannis Foundation
Free Admissionsee more info https://ancientdrama.gr/en/international-symposium-on-ancient-drama-2026/
For information and registration for the workshops, please contact adrama@mcf.gr
Inspired by the famous line from Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers (Choephoroi), part of the Oresteia trilogy—”I mean that the dead kill the living” (τὸν ζῶντα καίνειν τοὺς τεθνηκότας λέγω)—the title of this four-day international event, organized by the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation from 18 to 21 November 2026, revisits the timeless question of how the past continues to shape and influence the present.
Organized in collaboration with the Jagiellonian University of Kraków, the Foundation brings together leading Polish theatre directors and academic researchers to explore the creative relationship between ancient drama and contemporary theatrical practice. Through a series of webinars, workshops, and an international forum—all with free admission—the programme examines how classical antiquity functions both as a source of artistic inspiration and as a field for critical reflection within contemporary theatre.
The programme focuses primarily on contemporary theatrical creation while also including a brief historical section dedicated to two seminal figures of Polish theatre: Stanisław Wyspiański, and Tadeusz Kantor. Their inclusion is essential, as their work has profoundly shaped both modern Polish theatre and international theatrical thought and practice.
By examining the relationship between classical antiquity and contemporary Polish theatre, the programme seeks to investigate whether today’s theatre-makers develop their artistic work through a creative dialogue with ancient Greek tragedy and the Polish theatrical tradition, or whether they continue to be influenced—or perhaps even constrained—by the powerful legacies of the past.
The event aims to create an international platform for dialogue, the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and artistic practices among artists, scholars, and students. By fostering intercultural exchange between the Greek and Polish theatrical traditions, it is expected to make a significant contribution to the international discussion on the contemporary reception of ancient Greek tragedy in European theatre.
The programme will further strengthen collaboration among European universities and research institutions by promoting interdisciplinary study of the relationship between ancient drama and contemporary performance practices. At the same time, it will create new opportunities for emerging researchers and students of theatre studies, acting, and classical studies, encouraging their participation in international networks of research and artistic collaboration.
With the support of the Ministry of Culture
Programme
Athens local time
November 18, 2026:
Webinar from 10:00 am -12:00 pm (1st session): Małgorzata Budzowska: Reconfigurations on the Tragic in Postdramatic Performance
Webinar from 12:15 am -14:15 pm (2nd session): Radek Stępień & Włodzimierz Staniewski (directors talk): The Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices and Its Relationship with Classical Antiquity
Workshop from 17:00 pm – 20:00 pm (1st day): Radek Stępień & Olga Śmiechowicz: The Directorial Challenge of the Chorus in Ancient DramaNovember 19, 2026:
Webinar from 11:00 am -13:00 pm (3rd session): Rebecca Pierrot & Krzysztof Garbaczewski: The Theatre of Krzysztof Garbaczewski and Classical Antiquity
Workshop from 17:00 pm – 20:00 pm (2nd day): Radek Stępień & Olga Śmiechowicz: The Directorial Challenge of the Chorus in Ancient DramaNovember 20, 2026:
Webinar from 10:00- 12:00 am (4rd session): Aleksandra Bałda & Barbara Lipiarska:Krzysztof Warlikowski’s Apollonia
Workshop from 17:00 pm – 20:00 pm (3rd day): Radek Stępień & Olga Śmiechowicz: The Directorial Challenge of the Chorus in Ancient DramaNovember 21,2026
Webinar from 10:00- 12:00 am (5th session): Anna Róża Burzyńska & Lars Jan: Wyspiański’s “The Return of Odysseus” in Athens
Forum, 1 day from 12:15 am -14:15 pm
Workshop from 17:00 pm – 20:00 pm (4th day): Radek Stępień & Olga Śmiechowicz: The Directorial Challenge of the Chorus in Ancient Drama
