ATHENS FE S TIVAL
the festival. Organizers shrewdly “sold” to foreign artists the opportunity to perform under the “halo” of the Acropolis. They, in turn, infused their efforts with inspiration from ancient Greece, and helped the festival quickly develop an international reputation. Theodore Kritas, the legendary producer and director who for decades was responsible for inviting artists to the Odeοn, recalls travelling to Moscow to speak with Rostropovich about performing. It only took him a few minutes to convince the great cellist and conductor; so captivating was the chance to perform in the shadow of the Acropolis. Leonard Bernstein was also delighted to perform at the festival, expressing his enormous admiration for the venue. In fact, the only special request he made was to be allowed, the day after his 1977 concert, to visit the grave of Dimitris Mitropoulos, his mentor and friend. THE EPIDAURUS CHAPTER Just as the presence of Dimitris Mitropoulos had been integral to the success at the Odeon, actor-director Dimitris Rondiris became a key figure for the Great Theater of Epidaurus. It was Rondiris who established a new way of “interpreting” the ancient tragedies; his 1954 production of Euripides’ Hippolytos served as a dress rehearsal for the inaugural Epidaurus Festival the following year. For its official inauguration, an invitation was sent to actor and director Alexis Minotis, who had already distinguished himself in the theatres of England and who had appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious alongside Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Minotis chose to direct Euripides’ Hecuba by the National Theater, with Katina Paxinou in the title role. From this bright beginning, the Epidaurus Festival grew, soon becoming a great competitive arena for the world of theater. One of the greatest artists to grace the Epidaurus Festival was undoubtedly Maria Callas. On 24 August, 1960, she performed Bellini’s Norma with the National Opera of Greece and with Tullio Serafin conducting. As she sang the Casta Diva aria, two white doves were released, prompting a storm of applause. At the end of the performance that night, the enthusiasm of the audience was so great that Callas reappeared for 10 encores. La Divina returned to Epidaurus the following year, again
performing with the National Opera, this time in Luigi Cherubini’s Medea. Directed by Alexis Minotis before an audience of around 17,000, it was another triumph, with Callas receiving a standing ovation. Because of the festival, life in and around Epidaurus takes on a different quality every Friday and Saturday in August. At Lygourio, the village that welcomes thousands of audience members after the performances, the locals are said to measure their age relative to the festival. In the early years, when there were no hotels, these same villagers would accommodate the festival performers in their own homes. Since the festival began, other venues – in addition to the Odeon and Epidaurus – have sought to host events, including the Lycabettus Theater and the Stoa of Attalos. The man who envisioned a festival that would embrace the entire city of Athens was its former artistic director Giorgos Loukos. It was Loukos who, in 2006, launched an ambitious program of expansion. As a first step, an old furniture factory at 260 Pireos Street was renovated and transformed into a hub of avant-garde artistic expression. Many other new venues soon followed. Today, the Festival is deeply ingrained in our DNA. Most of us have fond memories of events we have seen at the Odeon or at Epidaurus, and we still look forward to the next performances. As the years go by, I’m sure we’ll still worry that we’ve forgotten to switch off our cell phones, and we’ll still hide bottles in our bags for those particularly warm evenings. We’ll still be vexed by those stiletto heels that we couldn’t forego wearing, despite repeated warnings from archaeologists about the serious damage they cause to the monuments. We’ll continue to be outraged by the kilos of chewing gum removed from the marble by the special clean-up teams. At the Odeon, political figures will squeeze into the front rows, while the upper tier will be full of young people. The seats will always be uncomfortable for long performances. Row 19 at the end of the lower tier will remain expensive, in great demand by those in the know, since this is the only row where the seats come with back support. And tourists will continue to use up the memory capacity of their cameras on their first visit, and leave the theater waxing lyrical about an incredible life experience…
Info For information on this season’s program, tickets, box offices and venues, visit www.greekfestival.gr. Group tickets hotline (+30) 210.327.2000 (9:00-21:00) • Email: tickets@greekfestival.gr.
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