The National Theatre of Norhtern Greece puts into practice its philosophy and strategic planning regarding its presence outside Thesaloniki and sets in operation the Macedonia-Thrace Department, aiming at staging theatre performances in areas where the citizen’s access to theatre is limited.
On the belief that the presence of NTNG in Macedonia and Thrace is necessary for reasons of national importance and that a public institution should meet the needs and expectations of the entire population of Northern Greece, the NTNG embarks on a two-month entourage starting from the borderline region of Evros.
The Macedonia-Thrace Department presents the play “Laurels Bitter Laurels” by Dimitris Kehaides and Eleni Haviara.
In his note concerning the Macedonia-Thrace Department the President of the Administrative Board Mr. Dimitris Garoufas points out:
“The National Theatre of Northern Greece serves its institutional goals and puts into the practice the vision of opening up to the provincial region by organizing a winter tour programme throughout Northern Greece. In this way the institution of departments which toured around Macedonia and Thrace in the past comes alive again thus giving the residents of regional areas and isolated villages the chance to come into contact with Theatre.
Despite the economic crisis facing our country and the ensuing limited financial potential, the Administrative Board of the NTNG fully supports this new effort because in this way the NTNG can better live up to its high mission and prove that it truly functions as a National Theatre of the entire territory of Northern Greece. For this reason the premiere of the tour takes place in Ormenio, Evros.
Finally, we would like to express our delight for the choice of the particular play which demonstrates and satirizes the political temperament of the Greek province and at the same time constitutes a theatre text which is regarded among the best plays of Modern Greek theatre production, both diachronic and up-to date thus giving the audience the impression that it has been written today.
In his address, the Artistic Manager of NTNG Mr. Sotiris Hatzakis refers to the necessity of re-establishing the Macedonia-Thrace Department:
« For reasons of national importance and cultural necessity, the National Theatre of Northern Greece implements its strategic planning and re-establishes the institution of Departments after 26 years that their operation had been suspended.
This institution was initiated with the theatre of Thrace in autumn of 1977 in Komotini, aiming at theatre decentralization, and operated until 1984.
The creation of a single Macedonia-Thrace Department aims at establishing a permanent theatrical presence in the frontier parts of Northern Greece thus opening up a new perspective concerning the role of theatre in our country.
In undertaking this initiative, the National theatre of Northern Greece has selected “Laurels Bitter Laurels” by Dimitris Kehaides and Eleni Haviara,,a significant work of modern Greek dramaturgy; it is a play of crucial political targeting which satirizes the ever-present Greek reality with its delightful humor and uses its dialectic thought to slate the political and social life of our country.
The citizen’s capability for access to the theatre act is the top priority of this initiative undertaken by the NTNG. We would like to invite all residents, bodies, Municipalities, Prefectures and communities of Macedonia and Thrace to embrace this effort. The NTNG Department concerns them all, because a public interest theatre is a spiritual legacy which belongs to all and each one of us.
The official opening night of the play has been scheduled for Friday, February 26th 2010 in Ormenio, of the Municilaity of Trigono. |