Theatre Performances

Wasps by Aristophanes

Municipal Theatre of Agrinio

1st Performance: June 22, 1995.
Ancient Theatre of Eniades.

Credits

Translation: Leonidas Zenakos
Direction: Kostas N.Farmasonis
Set & costume design: M. Sdugos
Music: Michalis Christodulidis
Choreography: Vas.Myrianthopoulos
Assistant director: Dim. Pantazis

Cast (In order of appearance)

Sosias: Dimitris Pantazis
Xanthias: Nikos Gesoulis
Vdelikleon: Adonis Rabaounis
Filokleon: Giorgos Melisaris
Coryphaeus: G. Papathanasis
Flute-player: Alice Katsavou
Symposiast: Giorgos Kotsakis
Accuser: Panos Stathakopoulos
Baker woman: Aglaia Karavela
A´ Crab's child: Gerasimos Mavros
B´ Crab's child: Dimitris Bozonis
C´ Crab's child: Tasos Korozis
Chorus:
Tasos Korozis, Alice Katsavou, Panos Stathakopoulos, Dimitris Bougelis, Dimitris Bozonis, Maria Braila, Giorgos Kotsakis, Aglaia Karavela, Katerina Tsalidou, Gerasimos Mauros
 

The Play

Wasps: Aristophanes comedy, the 4th chronologically from the known. Played in 422 BC Linea (in the same competition with his lost "Proagona"). The object of this play is the demagogue Kleon and the trial- mania of Athenians. The plot is so theatrical - with many ruses - that will be a lesson for the poets of New Comedy. In the fervid dicast Filokleon and his wise son Vdelykleon, Aristophanes is giving us two of the most vivid theatre characters, notwithstanding their social symbolism, they are very real. The chorus of Heliastes is presented by a fascinating swarm of wasps, with their sting ready to prick. The comedy climax is a "play in the play": a dummy-trial directed by Vdelykleon, to cure - with a kind of psychotherapy - his old father, from his furore to judge and criminate. Accuser and defendant are two dogs - the wild Kedathenian dog (a magical image of Kleon) and the perplexed Exonian dog, that stole from the former a piece of cheese. Finally daddy is trained from his son and - with cute flute-players, booze, singsongs and cordax (old Greek dance)- is transformed in a "virtuous" Athenian citizen, which can't stand hearing about trials and snaps his finger at Kleon.

[From the homonym entry in "Theatre Dictionary" of Alexis Solomos. Kedros Publications, Greece]

The deep interference of Kleon in Athenian justice was a fact. From the other side, he dragged Aristophanes in trials. Aristophanes answer was "Heppis" (Horsemen/Riders). In the second Paravasis of "Wasps" are many points that let us think that there was an identical reaction of Kleon with "Heppis", even though he only threatened Aristophanes with a lawsuit. The circumstances permitted Aristophanes to achieve many of his goals at the same time: 1) Once more to answer to his enemy by launching a severe attack against him, 2) reveal Kleon's tartarean role in trivialization of justice, 3) take it out on for his personal victimization, 4) to cauterize a general phenomenon which concerned him, as it hinted in other plays.

[From the introduction to Zenakos' translation of "Wasps". Vikelea Library of Heraclion]