Actors & Actresses

Emilios Veakis [1884-1951]

«Among the figures in this century pantheon Marika is on the top level and in theatrical pantheon is the top».
-Vasilis Rotas, Greek playwright-

About the Greek Actor Emilios Veakis

1884: Born in Piraeus. His parents die and he is adopted.
1900: Enrols himself in "Royal Dramatic School" in Greece.
1901: In spring he plays in Volos - Greece, with the company of Evangelia Nika, in a comedy of Sardou. In September makes an impression in Athens in the play "Sabiniol without his will".
1902-1913: Tour in province of Greece in countless roles for 13 years. Mobilized in Balkan War of 1912-’13 - where he promoted in sergeant from bravery.
1914, July: Again in Athens. He plays with the group of Telemachos Lepeniotis & Christina Kalogerikou in a play of Helias Voutiridis "Politics that kill" and in the one-act play "The clamp" of Pirandello that was staged for the first time.
1916, February: "Macbeath", in direction of Thomas Economou.
1917-’18: "Anthe" of Andrejiev with the group of Kyveli.
1919, 20 May: "Oedipus Rex". Final sanction with his concussive interpretation of the homonymous role, in direction of Fotos Politis from «Greek Theatre company». With the same group he plays "Inspector" of Gogol, "Brother Karamazov", "Students" of Gregorios Xenopoulos.
1921, 17 September: With Kyveli in "Findanaki [= sapling]" of Pandelis Horn in a momentous performance in the role of Father. Then he makes his own group with Christoforos Nezer and Soteria Iatridou, and toured the province and Constantinople.
1931: A capital point in his career was his collaboration with Katina Paxinou and Alexis Minotis. "Father" - Strindberg, "Uncle Vania" - Chekov, "Desire under the elms" (first performance of O'Neil in Greece).
1932: National Theatre of Greece is established and Veakis among 50 other actors participates under the baguette of Fotos Politis at first and Demitris Rondiris after.
1933: "Oedipus Rex", again in direction of Fotos Politis.
1938: The climax. His performance in “King Lear” in direction of Demitris Rondiris.
1942-'43: The bondage forced him to quit from National Theatre. Collaborated with Katerina in "Caesar & Cleopatra" of Shaw, "Soup" of Fabre, etc.
1943-'44: Makes a theatre company with Vaso Manolidou, Giorgo Papa and Niko Dendrami and presents the plays: "Opaque glass" - Prinslau, "Youth" - Halbe.
1944: Collaboration with Katerina. Follows EAM (Greek Liberating Lines = national resistance) and takes with him other actors that were performing in the province. His involvement in politics as a member of national resistance made him a target of the regime and he was prosecuted. That damaged his health.
1945-'46: Supported the group of «United Artists», in the Shakespearean "Julius Caesar", in "Theodora" of D.Fotiadi, in "Karamazov Brothers", and in "Enemies" of Gorky.
1947: Tired and aggrieved from the prosecutions decides to quit from theatre. He takes a meager pension.
1951 April - May: National Theatre at last calls him -after many public protestations- to play his last roles in "Daphne Loreola" of Bridie with Kyveli and in "Three world, one life" of Dionysios Romas. He 'll be deified.
In June of 1951 a great artists dies.