Parabases: William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

Love, seduction and gender identity, as negotiated by William Shakespeare in four of his most characteristic and entertaining comedies, are the themes of this year's series of dramatized readers' theater.

The world of Shakespearean comedy is a world full of outrageous plots, gender struggles, battles of logic against emotion, endless misunderstandings, passionate love, heroes and heroines who are frantically searching for their identity and their "other half," witty wordplays, epic altercations, irony of fate and sarcasm of the poet, happy endings, as well as a hefty dose of darkness.

The readers' theater performances are staged under the care of four directors of the younger generation, who are distinguished for their highly personalized gaze and method, but also share a love for the texts and for fruitful experimentation with theatrical speech. This year's PARABASES are supported by an expanded ensemble of young actors, who are alternating in the casts to tell complex stories with simple theatrical means and take on the archetypal characters of Shakespearean theatre. The works have been delightfully translated by prominent poets and translators, while artistic director of the series Ektoras Lygizos is also in charge of the dramaturgy and adaptation of the plays.

Artistic Direction: Ektoras Lygizos

Saturday 08/04 & Sunday 09/04, 19.00

William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew

In Padua of the 1600s, Signor Baptista decides not to marry off his sought-after daughter Bianca before a husband is found for his first-born daughter Katherina. Sweet Lucentio falls madly in love with Bianca, while the rough Petruchio has his eyes on Katherina's dowry and sets out to tame the headstrong young woman.

One of ShakespeareΆs most peculiar and controversial comedies, where the usually romantic and lyrical tone is replaced by the cruelty and cynicism of a world that treats women as products for commercial exploitation and/or as wild beards to be tamed. Is it a comedic exploitation, on the part of the poet, of the social stereotypes of his time? Or is The Taming of the Shrew an acerbic satire on misogyny and patriarchy?

Translated by: Katerina Angelaki-Rooke 
Adapted by: Ektoras Lygizos
Directed by: Eva Vlassopoulou

Actors: Eva Vlassopoulou, Korina-Anna Gougouli, Konstantinos Zografos, Ektoras Lygizos, Grigoris Ballas, Katerina Patsiani, Iasonas Stasinos, Aineias Tsamatis

The translation is used courtesy of Dimitris Victor.  

LIGHTHOUSE
Duration: 60'

The 09/04 event will be offered with simultaneous interpretation into the Greek Sign Language.

This event comes under a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Alongside the majority of its events, which are free thanks to a series of SNF grants, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center also organizes a number of events with affordable tickets, thus enriching its income sources and securing its long-term financial integrity