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Press Releases

The Dybbuk (12/12/2011)

The Dybbuk
New HYPEROON STAGE
Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies
Opening: Sunday, December 25, at 9.00 p.m.

National Theatre of Northern Greece presents Bruce Myers’ “” under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture’s programme; “Thessaloniki, Cultural Crossroads, 2011 Middle East”. The play is based on the work “The Dybbuk” by Shalom Ansky, translated by Louiza Mitsakou, directed by Sotiris Hatzakis and with the music of Savvina Giannatou. The opening of the performance, which is a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, will be held at New Hyperoon Stage, Society for Macedonian Studies, on Sunday, December 25, 2011.

A Note from the DirectorcrossroadsThess
A man and a woman shudder from the dominant rhythm of love. They wish to be united, as the old oath their parents made demands. But the oath is breeched. The man dies of sorrow, but his spirit, that can’t find just, shall possess the body of his beloved and deny leaving it, by that defying the laws that separate the deceased from the living.

And so the story of “The Dybbuk” begins. It is a story about the intense presence of love and God and not a story about their absence.
Our existence begins at birth and it is a pity when it loses its substance. It shall eventually understand its loss, it shall nostalgically reminisce the innocence and shall desire to destroy; as to return in the great Nothing, the non-existing, the divine blank that was liberated, while we were absent, shall once again spread in its harmonic union. This is the tragic secret that human thought started to realize through times, from Oedipus and Job to Strindberg, Kafka and Becket. The same thing becomes evident through the Greek laments, the ecstatic movements of the Shamans, the mourning Whirling Dervishes, the prayers and Terirem chants of the Orthodox, the stories of those in respect of joy of the Hassidic Kabbalah.
For as long as God is absent, our religious existence rises, as solitude makes us transparent and despair brightens us up. This is the way I personally understand Hannan’s love for Leah’le, as mourning for the great absence. But even this love itself dies as soon as it begins. Is it that this love mourns itself like the boy in Becket’s End Game that looks at his belly button?
Actors should hear these words and then forget them, for this is the only way they will be able to remember them and tell us this story, the Jewish version of Romeo and Juliet that has its roots in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. I hope the ecstasy from the rites and rituals will affect their souls during the performance.

I would like to express my gratitude to Bruce Myers for our treasured talks as well as Stefanos Rozanis for teaching us the rites of the Kabbalah mentioned in the play. I wish everyone attending the performance can feel in their body those things that the mind cannot understand, for God, love and absence is felt deep within us.
Sotiris Hatzakis


Performances: from 25/12/11 to 29/01/2012

National Theatre of Northern Greece will present Bruce Myers’ “Dybbuk” in Moscow on the 16th and 17th of March 2012, as the theatre was chosen to represent the Union of the Theatres of Europe (together with six more performances) at the festival organized by Maly Theatre, Moscow.

Following, the performance will be hosted at the theatre “Mihalis Kakoyiannis”, from Wednesday 21 of March, 2012 to Sunday 1 of April, 2012, and right after that a European tour will follow. “The Dybbuk” inaugurates the “International Stage” of NTNG that aims to present productions abroad, making its presence known to the foreign scene.

Contributors
Translation: Louisa Mitsakou
Director – Theatrical Scenery: Sotiris Hatzakis
Costumes: Ersi Drini
Music: Savvina Giannatou
Lightings: Antonis Panagiotopoulos

Cast:
Dimitris Papanikolaou (man) Despoina Kourti (woman)

Kabbalah teaching: Professor Stefanos Rozanis.

Performances:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Wednesday & Sunday at 19.00 hours
Thursday & Friday at 21.00 hours
Saturday at 18.00 & 21.00

Advance booking:

Box office and Webpage of NTNG
Concert Hall Box Office at Aristotelous sq.
“Public” stores Thessaloniki and at www.public.gr
PUBLIC

Ticket Office Hours
Vassiliko Theatre (White Tower sq.): Tuesday – Sunday: 9.30 a.m. -9.30 p.m.
Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies (2 Ethnikis Aminis str.): Tuesday-Sunday: 9.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. & 5.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m.
Moni Lazariston (25-27 Kolokotroni str. Stavroupoli): Tuesday - Sunday: 9.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. & 5.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m.
Concert Hall Box Office at Aristotelous sq. (advance booking only): Monday, Wednesday, Saturday: 10:00a.m..–3.30 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.–2 :00 p.m. & 5.30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Reservations: 2315 200200

General Admission: €10
“OEE” and “OGA” tickets are available


NEW HYPEROON STAGE, THEATRE OF THE SOCIETY FOR MACEDONIAN STUDIES: 2 Ethnikis Aminis str. Thessaloniki



“Thessaloniki Cultural Crossroads” programme
is realized with the financial aid of OPAP S.A.

opap


MEDIA SPONSORS
ert ert3 erotikospontiki naftemporiki CLICKATLIFE

WITH THE SUPPORT OF
tv100_60fm100_60 makedoniatv os3 zithos  dore

Translated by Konstantina Vika

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