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Press Releases

The Germans Strike Again (07/03/2012)


National Theatre of Northern Greece presents Alekos Sakellarios and Christos Gianakopoulos play “The Germans Strike Again”, directed by Giannis RIgas. A delightful comedy, that mirrors the situation in post-war Greece and one that proves more current than ever. The play will be presented in the Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies on Sunday 18/03/2012. The performance is the way NTNG decided to honor the 20 years since Alekos Sakellarios passed away.

Germans left Athens on October 12, 1944. “The Germans Strike Again” play has been performed again in 1946 at Rex-Kotopouli Theatre with Vassilis Logothetidis at the leading part, enjoying a great success. It is considered to be one of the most important performances of the Dioscuri of the Greek theatre, namely Sakellarios-Giannakopoulos.

Finos Films movie “The Germans Strike Again” premiered on 5 January 1948 and in its first night in Athens alone had 136.033 tickets. It was the beginning of the great career of Logothetidis in theatre as well as in films that would last up to 1960 and his early death. It was also the start of a long series of classical comedies by Alekos Sakellarios and Christos Giannakopoulos, most of which would be written on Logothetidis. The play was adopted for television, directed by Sakellarios and with Giannis Michalopoulos playing the leading role.

The play “The Germans Strike Again” is a classic and current performance driven from the fear for the return of the occupiers and with the eternal theme of division that characterizes the Greeks from early years. The play succeeds in capturing the era in detail and with the background of a probable war, talks about the need of Greeks to stay united in peace or war to win any occupier or danger that threatens them.


Director’s Note
My heroes were always anonymous. They were hidden behind their benches in the flea market, in commercial stores selling fabrics, in less than clean kitchens, in tracks, or even in PPC’s posts yelling behind huge machines that made them look even smaller and less important.
“Pledging to the herring and the halva, it is these the ones that they’ll always come back to”
Every time I go shopping at Kapani regardless of it being for veggies, fishes or meat, I come across the whole of Greece in one small place. Colors, smells, dirt or cleanliness, sneakiness, cheat, honour, integrity. Fast hands, clean look, funny weigh, wet bills.
Thodoros, Maria, Giorgos, Ourania, Lefteris, Nikos, Anneta, Xenophon, Danae, Michalis, Marigo, Zisis, Alexandros, Evi, Tilemachos, Despoina, Dimitris, Nikos, Vassilis, Eleni, Amigdalia, Rodi, Stelios, Konstantina…
The same people who vote when those who know better tell them to, who kill themselves everyday for those who know better, who can or can’t, often without having a choice pay for their loans, their payments, the IRS, the sins of those who know better and who at night return home to eat a slice of bread and watch television, fight with their relatives, friends and neighbors on who from those who know better is the best. They are scared, they believe anything, they think they understand, they are not that eager to do anything, they light a candle to Virgin Mary because you never know… they carry change in their pockets to give to the poor.
They are the same people who fought in the Balkans campaign, in Dervenakia, in Roupel, who followed Palamas and Seferis and not at easy times. They could be called Karaiskakis or Athanasios Diakos, but it just didn’t occur for them. In a weird and difficult to understand way, however, they have conquered the obvious; “Only the one who fights the darkness within, shall have a place in the sun”.
My heroes were always less important. And nameless. The heroes of the play “The Germans Strike Again”.
Giannis Rigas

The play “The Germans Strike Again” will be held in the Theatre of the Society for Macedonian Studies throughout March every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
In April (and after the completion of Agamoi Thytai … civil servants) performances of “the Germans Strike Again” will follow the theatre’s normal programme: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Contributors
Playwright: Alekos Sakellarios, Christos Giannakopoulos
Direction: Giannis Rigas
Dramatourgy consultant –music supervision: Iasonas Trinatafillidis
Sets: Despoina Dani
Costumes: Christos Broufas
Lighting: Stelios Tzolopoulos
Assistant director: Iordanis Aivazoglou
Production: Rodi Stefanisou

Cast (in alphabetical order): Panos Argiriadis, Despoina Giannopoulou, Michalis Gounaris, Eleni Thimiopoulou, Ektor Kaloudis, Maria Karamitri, Giorgos Kafkas, Nikos Kolovos, Dimitris Kontos, Anneta Kortsaridou, Evi Sarmi, Vassilis Seimenis, Alexandros Tsakiris.

Performance Dates:

March Programme: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday
Thursday at 21.00, Wednesday & Sunday at 19.00
April Programme: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Wednesday & Sunday at 19.00, Friday & Saturday: 18.00 & 21.00

Ticket Price:
Wednesday 19:00, Thursday 21:00, Saturday 18:00
• Stalls- Regular: 15€, Discount ticket: 12€, Group ticket: 10 €
• Circle- Regular: 12 €, Discount ticket, Group ticket: 10€
“OEE” and “OGA” tickets are available

Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• Stalls-Regular: 18€ , Discount ticket: 12 €, Group: 10€
• Circle-Regular: 13€ , Discount ticket, Group: 10€

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 : 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

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