Αnestis Azas
Ta skylia / The dogs
Inspired by Aristophanes’ Birds
A group of ‘dogs’ appears on stage as another ancient comedy Chorus. Their mission is to unravel the events surrounding the brutal abuse and killing of a beautiful pet dog in a rural Greek town, next to an ancient oracle. Which version is true? Was the killer a human, as was originally rumoured, or was this domestic dog a victim of a pack of other, stray dogs, as the authorities finally concluded? Will the detective dogs that have been sneaking in from different corners of the world manage to discover the truth? Are dogs capable of delivering justice better than humans? Could abused animals finally find justice in a dog state, freed from human authority?
Having won over the Greek and European audiences with his delightfully poignant The Republic of Baklava, Anestis Azas returns to the Festival with an original text co-written again with Gerasimos Bekas and Michalis Pitidis. This time, the play is inspired by Aristophanes’ Birds with a zoomorphic Chorus of birds, which founds Cloud Cuckoo Land, an ideal state between the world of humans and that of gods. Based on a true story from recent crime news and using the documentary theatre method, a political allegory is developed on stage on the issue of social violence that is increasingly being perpetrated against the weakest.
Just as Aristophanes has the birds rebel in order to punish the human species for its arrogance, so in this original play the dogs, which for many symbolise selfless love, loyalty, and friendship, are here united against humans. The incident of the abuse and killing of an innocent animal becomes the core of a play about the cruelty of human relationships and all it entails.
grape – Greek Agora of Performance is an initiative by the Athens Epidaurus Festival aiming to establish a platform for Greek artists to communicate with the international Theatre and Dance scene, giving them the opportunity to present their works to representatives and artistic directors of international festivals and cultural institutions abroad. For 2024 the platform presents 8 productions during 21 – 25 July.
grape is open to the general public and is part of the main artistic programme of the Athens Epidaurus Festival. The performances included are also scheduled on dates outside the duration of the platform.
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Co-funded by Greece and the European Union
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Peiraios 260 (Η)
- 19/07 until 21/07/2024 at 21:30
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