Danaides

a tragedy by Andreas Kalvos

The Performance

• Date of Performance: September 19, 1997

• Place: open-air Theatre of Anavrita, Athens, Greece

Credits

Director: Christos Tsangas
Original Music: Mimis Plessas
Set - Costume: Melina Violantzi
Choreography: Cris Aggelou
 

Cast

Danaos: Christos Tsangas

Hypermnistra: Laia Pagalou

Lygeas: Giorgos Petrinolis

Chorus-Danaides:

Alice Katsavou, Doti Priona, Mary Sideri, Katerina Souvli, Danae Tzima, Tasia Valahi.
 

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Directors' Note

The Greek poet Andreas Kalvos took the theme of Danaides from mythology and developed it with his youthful romanticism in an original dramatic composition. Conational, primordial, dynamic, without vacillation, it sets off in a unique way the deep instinctual and passionate feelings of these characters.

The play is full of contradictable passion, the struggle for freedom together with primordial right. It is primarily an erotic drama with love and passion in a turbulent contradiction. Also it is the precursor of Kalvos' love for his country, Greece, as it was phrased later in his poems ("ODES").

Direction follows the opera style, without of course the singing and music rendition but instead of arias and chorus here we perform the hopeless spirit and extreme despair of characters with a bit of exaggeration.

The contradictious moments of despair and the passionate overflow of our characters reveal points of insanity and sanity that lead to a dead end. On the other hand the kingship of Danaos, is driven by men's dominance in an almost superhuman regimental behaviour, like Zeus, or Poseidon, with dominance on daughters and nephews.

This performance tries to come near to the demonic inspiration of Kalvos.

Christos Tsangas

(Director's note from the playbill)
 

Photo of the performance

From left, standing: Mary Sideri, Alice Katsavou, Danae Tzima, Tasia Valahi
Seatted from right: Katerina Souvli, Doty Priona