“The Pursuit of Unhappiness”
Black comedy inspired by the homonymous bestseller by Paul Watzlawick
Adaptation – Direction
Georgia Andreou
Michael Cacoyannis Foundation
22 – 25 September 2022
«But how did I manage to become my own worst enemy?»
Enough with the preconceived notion that everyone should be happy.
Do you want to be unhappy? You can be!
Make your own misery. A practical guide to modern lifestyle.
Following the successful sold-out performances and the warm reception of the audiences last June, the performance “Make your Own Misery” returns for a new round of performances at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation (Basement), 22 – 25 September 2022, at 21:30.
Georgia Andreou, following the successful metal performance, “The Parenticide Club” by Ambrose Bierce (Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, 2019), continues her imaginative and inventive work, this time inspired by Paul Watzlawick’s book, “The Pursuit of Unhappiness”, a humorous and utterly serious manual of “misery” which quickly became a bestseller in countries abroad such as France and Italy.
The play “The Pursuit of Unhapinness”, with humour and self-satire as its main ingredients, invites us to break down the prejudice of happiness, an inverted mirror of unhappiness that reflects all the traps we set for ourselves every day in the search for happiness, and which, in the end, lead us to be even more unhappy.
How is misery made? Through 13 practical lessons “delivered” by the actors Alexandra Zoe, Manos Zoura, Panos Korogiannakis, Thomas Sieka and Antonis Floros .
Get ready…! Crystal balls, palmistry, tarot, zodiac signs, coffee readings… What are you waiting for? Are you ready to master the mechanics and secrets to a wonderfully unhappy life? At the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation you will find all the answers in just 4 performances!
Director’s note:
The world seems to be going from bad to worse, or at least. that’s exactly what we would figure if we didn’t know the historical course of humanity, which is full of long periods of misery and respites of happiness. Immersed as we are in a dystopian atmosphere, surrounded by pandemic, confinement, war, unemployment, racism, sexism, broken relationships, false loves, our breath is crushed in our chests under commands of the type, “you must be happy”, “you must be spontaneous”, “you have to do the right thing”. The fact that we set dozens of traps for ourselves every day and usually fall into them, causing our own misery, is the focus of the performance.
The concept of happiness and how we create our unhappiness are topics that have long preoccupied me. Maybe our happiness is entirely in our own hands. Sources of unhappiness are ignorance, unawareness, denial, obscurantism, and not taking a stand on things. Acceptance is the first step out of unhappiness. Acceptance, understanding and inclusion. As we also mention in the play, Dostoyevsky says “man is unhappy because he does not know that he is happy. That’s all”. [Georgia Andreou]
Future plans
Georgia Andreou is one of the most important representatives of her generation, emphasizing the relationship between art, research and new technologies, she intends to present a Crypto Theatre performance, offering the public the first Greek hybrid theater production with a presence in the physical and digital universe, in blockchain technology and NFTs. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Panteion University within the framework of the European Creative + Program and is one of the first ventures of its kind worldwide
«The Pursuit of Unhappiness»
Black comedy
Based on Paul Watzlawick’s bestseller (Alistou Mnimis Publ.)
Duration: 50 minutes
Creative Team:
Translation: Antonis Gikas
Adaptation – Direction: Georgia Andreou
Original music composition: Costas Dimouleas
Costume – Set design: Vasilis Barbarigos
Movement: Zefi Bartzoka
Music tutoring: Panos Korogiannakis
Photographs: Erricos Andreou
Video trailer: Akrivi Kollia
Communication: Despina Erricou, Rania Papadopoulou
Production: Abirato
Coproduction: Blue Rosebud Productions
Actors: Alexandra Zoe, Manos Zoura, Panos Korogiannakis, Thomas Sieka, Antonis Floros .
Performances:
22 – 25 September 2022
Thursday – Friday – Saturday – Sunday at 21:30
Tickets
Presale www.mcf.gr, ticketservices.gr
14 € (regular), 10 € (reduced*), 8 € (ατέλειες)
Presale offer: 12 € (for purchases up until 21 September)
