The Epidaurus Festival: Past and Future

What does the Epidaurus Festival, with a history spanning almost 70 years, stand for? To what extent has it affected how Ancient Drama is perceived inside and outside Greece and defined the Greek narrative within the country? What is our vision of the Epidaurus Festival for the 21st century? Should its philosophy and identity be maintained, or should they be revised, and, if so, to what extent? How global or local do we wish it to be? Does an international orientation require further specialization in Ancient Drama or does it entail an expansion of repertoire?

These are only a few of the questions that the word “Epidaurus” poses to theatre professionals. The Symposium will address these crucial questions aiming at encompassing the historical, theoretical yet also political aspects of the issue at hand, bringing together theatre scholars and key contributors to the Festival’s past twenty years, former artistic directors and artists/

The programme consists of two sessions:

1. The perception of Ancient Drama in Epidaurus from the origins of the institution to this day


2. Philosophy and contemporary orientations

DISCUSSION

"Epidaurus Festival: Past and Present"

Curated by Dionysis Kapsalis - Dimitra Kondylaki

-

PROGRAMME

| 18:00 - 19:00

"The perception of Ancient Drama in Epidaurus
from the origins of the institution to this day"

Speakers

Anna Mavroleon  tutor at the MA programme,

Theatre Studies Department, University of the Peloponnese

"Early Festival endeavours and ideas"

Eleni Papazoglou Associate Professor in History, Theory, and Perception

of Ancient Drama, School of Drama, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

"Once again we felt the frisson of an artistic sacred ritual"

Kaiti Diamantakou Professor,

Department of Theatre Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

"The Epidaurus Festival and its contribution to the discipline of laughter

or the Attic comedy pre- and post-1957"

Savas Patsalidis  Emeritus Professor of Theatre Studies,

School of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

"The new historicity after the end of history

and the new spectator: the challenges of Epidaurus"

Platon Mavromoustakos  Professor of Theatre Studies,

Department of Theatre Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

"Between 'tradition' and renewal:

debates and retrogressions in the Epidaurus Festival"

-

| 19:00 - 20:00

"Philosophy and contemporary orientation"

Speakers

Helene Varopoulou theatre researcher, critic

Yannis Moschos  director,

Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Greece

Asterios Peltekis  actor, director,

Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Northern Greece

Michail Marmarinos  director,

Artistic Director 2023 Eleusis

European Capital of Culture

Marianna Calbari  director,

Artistic Director of the Karolos Koun Greek Art Theatre

Dio Kangelari theatre researcher,

Director of Studies of the National Theatre of Greece Drama School

Vangelis Theodoropoulos  director,

Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival 2016-2019

Nikaiti Kontouri director

Dimitris Karantzas director

Prodromos Tsinikoris  director, dramaturg

Katerina Evangelatos  director,

Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival

-

Moderated by Μatina Kaltaki journalist, theatre critic