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Event Category: Theater

THE MOVIE TELLER

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The Movie Teller
by Hernán Rivera Letelier

Every sunset is like the final panoramic shot of an old movie,
a Technicolor and Cinemascope film, with the soundtrack being the sound of the wind
on the sheet metal. A movie that repeats itself day after day.
Sometimes sad, sometimes less so. But it always ends the same way.

In the arid and barren landscape of the Atacama Desert in Chile, life is tough for the inhabitants. Most are impoverished workers in nitrate mines and cannot afford even a trip to the cinema—the only source of entertainment in the area. A gifted young girl, however, takes it upon herself to watch the movies and narrate them back to her fellow villagers. Her home transforms into a unique stage, where with extraordinary narrative skill, the girl brings the movies to life. Through her distinctive artistic talent, the young narrator dreams of a different life, beyond the confines of the harsh social reality surrounding her—until the arrival of television changes everything.

Since the novella by Chilean author Hernán Rivera Letelier was first published in 2009, it has achieved great success, been translated into numerous languages, and adapted for the theater and, recently, for the cinema. In The Movie Teller, the boundaries between life, cinema, dreams, and even theater are fluid and constantly intertwined. Young director Nikolas Lampakis transforms the small stage of PLYFA into the living room of the narrator, also known as the “Cine-Fairy,” inviting us to experience one of her famous narrations ourselves. The performance explores, through the simplest elements of theater and cinema, the power of imagination as a source of inspiration for another life. In the narrations of this unique folk artist, the story of everyday people—and perhaps an entire nation—is reflected. These are people who envisioned and fought for change but remained proud despite the painful disillusionment of history.

Nikolas Lampakis, after studying Law in Thessaloniki and Performing Arts and Theater in Paris, graduated from the National Theater School of Directing in 2022. Since then, he has worked as an assistant director at the Art Theater Karolos Koun (Macbeth, directed by Thanasis Dovris) and the National Theater (Topography of Death or Let Us Not Forget, directed by Bricena Gjisto; The Final Solution, directed by Sotiris Roumeliotis; The Line of the Horizon, directed by Giorgos Pavlou). In 2024, he directed the children’s play We Fell from the Clouds in Thessaloniki, written by Maria Albanou, as well as two new theatrical works for teenagers in the format of staged readings at the National Theater.

In the role of the narrator, we find Noemi Vasileiadou, an actress with significant collaborations already under her belt, most recently in Oxygen by Giorgos Koutlis. She also stood out with her first solo performance, Caution: Works in Progress.

Duration: 70 minutes

ABYSS

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ABYSS
a paradoxical rite of passage

After the successful completion of three original works—“Red Notebooks” (2020), “Touring Theater Troupe” (2022), and “Algorythmos” (2023)—award-winning actress and creator Eleana Georgouli presents her new play, “Abyss,” at Venue 7G of PLYFA.

“Abyss” brings to life the paradoxical universe of a dystopia. In a near-future world on the brink of collapse—ravaged by endless wars and human-induced climate change—we witness a gamified struggle for survival. Through a chain of poetic episodes, six performers form an explosive Chorus in a relentless, pulsating performance that tests the absolute limits of their mental, moral, and physical endurance.

THE STORY
The island of ARCADIA is a modern-day PROMISED LAND, where social and political justice, prosperity, and exceptional environmental conditions prevail. Before reaching ARCADIA, travelers must pass through ABYSS, a barren intermediary islet housing the Inspection Station. Thousands of travelers arrive here, fleeing their own islands in pursuit of a dreamland.

The Special Committee of ABYSS examines these newcomers to determine if they are eligible to proceed to ARCADIA. The crucial prerequisite for the entry card is to pass ALL stages of the EVALUATION process. Those who fail are sent back to their islands of origin.

But what happens when this process turns into a dangerous and surreal survival game with no end in sight?

CREATOR’S NOTE
Set in a familiar yet imaginary future, the play draws inspiration from humanity’s primal urge to dream of the “ideal” and the eternal disillusionment of this ideal. Through a series of episodes—sometimes absurd, sometimes tragicomic, and at other times despairing—the play focuses on the anxieties of modern humans confronting invisible or shadowy forces that govern their lives.

In an atmosphere oscillating between metaphysical comedy and dystopian thriller, the protagonists face a labyrinthine process of skill collection and credential approval. The central demand of the COMMITTEE during this evaluation process is the travelers’ compliance with the game’s rules. However, to align themselves with these rules, the travelers must progressively renounce every value they hold—ideological, political, or cultural. Through an endless and tormenting process, they must not only demonstrate psychological resilience but transcend their identity on every level (gender, race, class).

With depth and levity, “Abyss” explores the anatomy of the human soul in its thirst for hope and freedom, questioning how far the pursuit of these ideals can lead us.

“Abyss” is presented under the auspices and with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.

Duration: 90 minutes

THE MELODIST OF MY LADY

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The melodist of my Lady
Luna Cantat

January 22–23, 2025
February 1, 2 & 16, 2025

The theatrical group Luna Cantat presents the dramatic lyrical text “The melodist of my Lady”, a tribute to motherhood.

The work delves into the profound loneliness that emerges from the loss of one’s mother. The protagonist, a 35-year-old man, returns to his mother’s home immediately after her funeral. He confronts her absent presence through her personal belongings, her scent, his memories, and the realization that true adulthood begins with orphanhood.

These initial moments in his mother’s home become a hymn to his sacred woman and a ceremonial beginning of his own eternal mourning in the truest, most mature stage of life.

DURATION: 60 minutes without intermission.

GYNAME

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GYNAME
An improvisational performance by the Improvvomen group!

13 women, of different ages, personalities, and sometimes even ideas, live, survive, rejoice, and grieve in the same play. Sometimes as spectators and other times as protagonists.

Before the audience’s eyes, an improvisational performance unfolds without a script. Inspired by everyday moments and shaped by audience input, it tackles—with humor, or sometimes not—issues that affect us all, positively or negatively.

“How beautiful are you?”/ “Do you know how much your smile lifts my spirits?”/ “When will you get married?”/ “Still no kids yet?”/ “Have you gained weight?”

Their shared experiences and concerns unite them in a life that creates its own performances and representations. All so different, yet so similar!

Are groups a refuge? Is togetherness possible? Can society change by respecting differences? Can it really happen?

 

Duration: 60–70 minutes

Suitable Age: 16+

THE CONFERENCE ON IRAN

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Little Things Orchestra presents for the first time in Greece

“The Conference on Iran”

by Ivan Vyrypaev
Directed by Christos Theodoridis

Following the successful productions of Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis, which ran for two seasons at PLYFA and Proskenio Theater, earning the 2022/23 “Karolos Koun” Theater and Music Critics Award for International Theatrical Repertoire and the 3rd Directing Award at the 9th All4fun Audience Theater Awards 2023, as well as To Those Who Listen to Me by Loula Anagnostaki, produced by the National Theatre of Northern Greece and staged with great success in Thessaloniki and Athens (Spyros Evangelatos Amphitheater, in collaboration with the cultural organization “Lykofos”), Little Things Orchestra now presents the Greek premiere of Ivan Vyrypaev’s The Conference on Iran, directed by Christos Theodoridis.

Written in 2018 and set in Denmark—the country known for having the happiest people in the world—Vyrypaev’s play takes us to a conference hall at the University of Copenhagen, where nine members of the intellectual elite gather to discuss the complex “Iranian Question” and the conflict between East and West. However, The Conference on Iran soon transforms into The Conference on Us, sparking a clash of ideas about the universe, human existence, and the eternal question of life’s meaning.

“So, what should I do?”
“What we all do—cry and love.”

Through a “feverish” dialogue that shifts from philosophy to science and from conservative to progressive thought, Vyrypaev’s play explores the deeper causes of humanity’s current state, linking the “political” to the “personal” while emphasizing the irreplaceable void left by the absence of communication and love.

“Honestly, I couldn’t quite figure it out. Why do I live?”

What does it mean to live?
Is there an answer to this timeless question?

Little Things Orchestra invites the audience to a performance-conference, where they will encounter nine speakers grappling with their understanding of the world around them, only to confront the universe within themselves.

Performance Dates:

Duration: 120 minutes (with intermission)

The production is supported by the Ministry of Culture.

 

 

GROWTH

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Growth
By Luke Norris
Directed by Jamie Bradley
A FONACT production

A dark comedy about fragile masculinity and testicular cancer.

 

That?

Yeah.

It’s a lump in a bag of lumps. 

I mean, it’s normal.

Tobes has found a lump. And it’s getting bigger.

As it grows, so must he, in ways he never thought he’d have to…

 

 

Performed in English with Greek surtitles

Running Time: 90 mins

An amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books

PAPER TIGER

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A… Paper Tiger by Ison Theatrical Projects

With a powerful theatrical play—a punch in the gut—the newly established production company “Ison” introduces itself to the theater scene.

Paper Tiger, written by Paraskevi Anevlavi and based on the true story of Carl Panzram, which shocked America in the 1920s, aims to shed light on the social factors that perpetuate violence, as well as the dark instincts embedded within human nature. The play sketches the psyche of the perpetrator, marked by cruelty and raw violence, shaped by traumatic childhood experiences that transform him into a serial killer in his adult life.

Are you ready to listen?

Two prisoners.

An interrogator.

One big secret.

The serial killer Carl is captured and confesses his horrific acts to the interrogator Alexander with intense passion and no fear. “I only regret two things. I regret hurting some animals during my life, and that I can’t kill the whole damned human race.”

In prison, he befriends his fellow inmate, Peter, sharing personal experiences and stories. However, at the final hour, a revelation emerges that changes everything.

“Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Suitable for ages 16 and over.

Duration: 70 minutes

MATCH

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MATCH
B.p.m. theater group & Danae Liodaki

Following the success of their play “Those You Didn’t Catch in Time,” the B.p.m. theater group presents the new theatrical work by Danae Liodaki, “Match.” This dark comedy about the end of love explores romantic relationships with humor and sensitivity, asking the question: how can love overcome obstacles such as individualism, consumerism, and the uncertainty of endless choices to survive in a society that seems to be against it?

“Match” follows the tragic story of Elle, the last romantic, the last woman who believed in love—and who paid a high price for it. Elle tries to find love through technology, using the dating apps we all know. When this search proves disappointing, she doesn’t give up. Instead, with the help of two close friends, she decides to create her own dating app to fight for the survival of romance in the modern era. But things don’t go as planned.

Danae Liodaki continues to tackle contemporary social issues with a humorous and fresh perspective. This original, modern play, “Match,” soon to be published by Kapa Publishing, invites us to see the political dimension of romantic relationships today. In an era where love becomes increasingly challenging, Elle and her friends call on us to reinvent love in all its forms, insisting: “Resist the disenchantment of life with us! Resist the end of love with us!”

The production is supported financially by the Ministry of Culture.

Performances
Starting November 28 at DIPETHE Kavala
Starting December 19 at PLYFA

PLITS PLATS PLOUTS

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PLITS PLATS PLOUTS
A Cocktail on the House from Tourism Workers

For most children, summer is the most carefree time of the year. For adults, however, the summer season is a serious matter that requires planning, organization, and money. For some professionals, summer is synonymous with work. Even in exhausting conditions, workers have to hide their fatigue so as not to affect the mood of vacationers, while travelers spend their money on holidays, hoping they will find compensation for the disappointments and fatigue of an entire year.

On stage, the spotlight shines on what usually remains in the shadows of summer: the thoughts that tour guides don’t share with tourists, the staff conversations in kitchen corners, and the provided 20-square-meter rooms that host not only the four waitstaff but also 23 cockroaches.

Are we all equal under the sun, or do we carry our social inequalities along with our luggage to tourist resorts?

After their debut performance, “Wanna Bet? A Show About Gambling in Greece,” Who Am I To returns with their new production, “PLITS PLATS PLOUTS, A Cocktail on the House from Tourism Workers.” Continuing their exploration of form and content, they now tackle the current and pressing issue of tourism, attempting to connect with the present day through the theatrical style of meta-revue.

Cast Rotation: Featuring Alexandra Rouvela (performing on 25/11, 26/11, 2/12, 3/12) and Katerina Kristo (performing on 9/12, 10/12, 23/12, 24/12, 30/12).

The performance was first presented in the program “All of Greece One Culture” by the Ministry of Culture in the summer of 2024.

Duration: 70 minutes

ROBERTO ZUCCO

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Roberto Zucco, by Bernard-Marie Koltès

The iconic work of Bernard-Marie Koltès, “Roberto Zucco,” is coming under the direction of Michalis Sionas and produced by MONKS Theater Company.

 

“It’s not the first time I’ve been inspired by what we call a police report incident, but this is not such an incident.”
(Bernard-Marie Koltès)

 

Inspired by the true story of the young Roberto Succo, who by the age of 25 had already killed his parents and embarked on a series of hostage-takings and murders, with his true motive remaining unknown—perhaps even mysterious—Bernard-Marie Koltès creates a crime and psychological thriller that often dips its toes into dark comedy.

Zucco escapes from prison and confronts us with the pathologies and contradictions of the modern Western world—the violence that dominates homes, squares, parks, police-monitored gatherings, marginalized ghettos, and stadiums.

Five actors and one musician on stage create a dystopian setting, depicting the vicious cycle of aggression, the lack of prospects for young people, and the questioning of our traditional institutions: family, society, politics, and the police.

Director’s note:
Roberto Zucco. A young man who, to endure society’s indifference, becomes violent towards it. Which means he becomes violent toward that which defines society—the human being.

 

Duration: 100 minutes

Age Rating: 12+