I. The
National Theatre of Northern Greece, a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of the Theatres of Europe (UTE), via its representative, the Artistic Director
Sotiris Hatzakis, was made responsible to organise
the relations and activities among the theatres of Southeastern Europe and the UΤΕ, in the General Assembly of the UTE held in Rome on January 7th 2012.
The NTNG participates in the European
"Liquid Frontiers" Project delivered by theatres-members of the UTE and took part in the official presentation-one day conference on the Project, held at the MC93 in Bobigny in Paris on
February 13th 2012.
The
NTNG presented in Paris two productions-ongoing performances:
- "The Passing", directed by Sotiris Ηatzakis, about the reception of immigrants in the modern western world. A performance during which the spectators watch a woman actress in contrast to video material projected to a screen. The anxiety of immigrant wanderings to gain a position in their final destination is met with that of a dominant persona - the receptor of immigrants, narrating the maladies of cultural infection. (Director: Sotiris Ηatzakis, Research and text selection: Amalia Kontoyanni, Video Art: Giorgos Koftis, Performer: Chrysa Pappa)
- "Global Ark", by the Drama School of the NTNG under the guidance of Giannis Rigas. A performance about the preservation of the most significant achievements of the human civilisation in a modern ark. The students Stefania Kalomoiri and Giannis Koloi, in their 2nd year of studies in NTNG's Drama School, participated in the presentation.
Participating in the
"Liquid Frontiers" Project, together with the NTNG, are Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Teatro Garibaldi di Palermo, Teatrul Bulandra Bucharest and the Cultural Centre MC93 in Bobigny in Paris.
ΙΙ. The
National Theatre of Northern Greece begins its tour abroad with the performance
"The Dybbuk" by
Bruce Myers, based on the so-named work by
Shalom Anski.
The tour begins on
February 17th & 18th from Bulgaria in the
Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia, followed by two performances of
"The Dybbuk" in the National Theatre of Albania in Tirana on March 2nd & 3rd as well as in Russia on March 16th & 17th, where the NTNG has been selected to represent (together with six more performances) the UTE at the Festival organised Maly Theatre in Moscow.
THE DYBBUK: Translation:
Louiza Mitsakou, Director - Space:
Sotiris Hatzakis, Costumes:
Ersi Drini, Music:
Savvina Giannatou, Lighting:
Antonis Panagiotopoulos. Distribution:
Dimitris Papanikolaou (Man),
Despoina Kourti (Woman). The rites of the Kabbalah mentioned in the play were taught by professor Stefanos Rozanis.
The
"Liquid Frontiers" Project as well as its official presentation in Paris are sponsored by the EU Culture Programme and the UTE.
The production
"The Dybbuk", which makes part of the programme
"Thessaloniki, Cultural Crossroads" under the auspices of the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was realised "with the financial aid of OPAP S.A."
The performances of
"The Dybbuk" in Bulgaria are sponsored for the most part by the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia, while "The Dybbuk"'s performances in Russia are sponsored in full by Maly Theatre and the UTE.
Translated by
Marianna Kaplatzi