“Garis”, one of three books for children written by Tasoula Eptakoili, has been imaginatively adapted for the stage by Vangelis Koufakos. The author, who is well-known both as a journalist (as an editor on the Greek daily “I Kathimerini”) and as an author (“My other whole”, “The woman in the elevator”, “Coin in the air”, “Do you see me?”), as well as for writing and presenting the successful “Plana me Oura” [Shaggydog Shots], a successful show about animal welfare on Greek state television, introduces us to the wonderful world of fantasy through the life of her own four-legged superhero.
Α few words about the play “Garis, the Musical” is the story of a donkey whose ability to fly will draw children into adventures which are as exciting as they are unexpected—given that, where English says “When pigs fly!” for something that isn’t going to happen, Greek says the same of donkeys. Tasoula, a dynamic journalist, is asked to write an article about Superman. But in a fit of creativity and research, she begins to wonder how donkeys got their bad reputation. So she sets out to identify the root of these prejudices, to help us all see these unique and kindly animals with new eyes. Garis is a donkey who one day realizes he can fly. But his superpower is activated by one thing and one thing alone: empathy. He listens to and feels the pain of others, and always ends up helping them—as long as that’s the right and just thing to do. “Garis” will transport children into a world of fantasy, making them love one of our very own superheroes: the long-suffering donkey of the Greek countryside. And it is this animal, so misunderstood in our folk tradition and in our language, that transcends our reality and “flies” us to a place where the concepts of justice, companionship, empathy and solidarity regain their place and worth.
Credits Theatrical adaptation: Vangelis Koufakos, Directed by: Tasos Pyrgieris, Sets-Costumes: Alexia Theodoraki, Music: Dimitris Maramis, Lyrics: Sotiris Trivizas, Choreography: Konstantinos Gerardos, Lighting: Stelios Tzolopoulos, Assistant to the director: Christoforos Mariadis, 2nd Assistant to the director: Thanasis Dislis, Production Coordinator: Marina Chatziioannou Cast: Marianna Avramaki, Lefteris Angelakis, Pelagia Angelidou, Manos Galanis, Eleni Giannousi, Ilektra Goniadou, Mara Malgarinou, Christos Papadimitriou, Maria Nefeli Paraskevopoulou, Dimitris Sakatzis, Evi Sarmi, Eva Sofronidou, Eleftheria Tetoula, Giannis Tsatsaris
Photos under That long black cloud
Information: National Theatre of Northern Greece | www.ntng.gr | Τ. 2315 200 200