Parabases: William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

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.

Saturday 11 & Sunday 12/03
The Comedy of Errors
Translator: Dionysis Kapsalis
Director: Manos Vavadakis

Saturday 08 & Sunday 09/04
The Taming of the Shrew
Translator: Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke
Director: Eva Vlassopoulos

Artistic Direction:
Ektoras Lygizos

Saturday 11/02 & Sunday 12/02, 17.00

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Following a shipwreck, Viola comes ashore at Illyria, believing that her twin brother, Sebastian, who was on the same boat, has drowned. She disguises herself as a young man under the name Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino. Viola will fall in love with Orsino, but the latter is in love with Olivia, who in turn falls in love at first sight with Viola/Cesario. Their bizarre love triangle will become even more complicated by the unexpected resurfucing of Sebastian.

One of Shakespeare's most meticulous and popular comedies, Twelfth Night masterfully builds on the dipole of Love and Mourning, constituting an unexpectedly bold study of social gender and sexual identity for its time. Love triangles, mistaken identities, farcical plot twists, witty quips and confessions make up a theatrical universe that is imbued with Dionysiac verve and melancholy sorrow, governed by Desire and its endless transformational powers.

Translated by: Nikos Hatzopoulos
Adapted by: Ektoras Lygizos

Musical Composition - Musician on stage: Nefeli Stamatogianopoulou
Directed by: Katerina Giannopoulou
Actors: Giannis Varsos, Marios Panagiotou, Nancy Sideri, Iasonas Stasinos, Christiana Toka

LIGHTHOUSE

The 12/02 event will be offered with simultaneous interpretation into the Greek Sign Language.