Should she “play” Lena Kitsopoulou in Epidaurus?

Not long this year. As early as the second week of performances at Epidaurus, a debate began over who had the right to act and direct in the ancient theatre.

This is a discussion about respecting the place, the ancient theater, and therefore the entire culture of our country.

This year, the occasion was the presentation of “Sphikes”, a free adaptation of Lina Kitsopoulou, based on the work of Aristophanes.

Last year, a similar discussion erupted through the play “Antigone” with Vasilis Besbekis, Elie Trengo and Danai Michalakis, directed by Tsisaris Grozinis, while in 2021 the same discussion started for the play “The Horsemen” by Konstantinos Rigos, in which Kostas participated. Koklas appeared with a green erect penis throughout the performance.

An occasion for this kind of discussion is given each year by the selections of the Festival of Athens, with the opponents divided into two camps: those who claim that Epidaurus should not be given to anyone and that offerings should respect certain limits on the opposite bank as well as those who claim that every trial is acceptable and judged As a result.

The casting of Lena Kitsopoulou has sparked controversy since the announcement of this year’s Epidaurus program, as this discussion “fired up” today, that is, after the end of the performances in the ancient theatre.

In fact, the most extreme voices speak of the resignation of the artistic director of the National Theatre, as well as those responsible for the Athens Festival and everyone involved in staging the show in question.

After all, who should play in Epidaurus?

The answer to this question comes through another question: “Who decides that no one should play in Epidaurus?”

To start things off, none of us there would have known what performances were like in the time of Aristophanes, Euripides, Sophocles and so on.

So how can we know which version is closest to the true version, that of our ancient ancestors, so that we can judge that something offends the theater of Epidaurus?

How many times have we seen very heavy names of Greek theatre, both directors and actors, acting out the “beasts” of Epidaurus?

After all, everything is judged by the result.

Would anyone say to Spyros Evangeliatos that you can’t perform at Epidaurus because your recent business has been bad?

Lena Kitsopoulou in Epidaurus…

Finally, this year, the Athens Festival took a risk and proposed to Lena Kitstopoulou to present the show “Wasps”.

She accepted and – to her credit – remained true to her philosophy, her theatrical “beliefs” and performed in Epidaurus exactly what anyone who had seen her other performances would expect.

Some people liked it and gave a warm welcome at the end, while others left earlier, even shouting “shame”, “shame” and “you’re offending us”.

Whether a show is good or bad can (and should) be judged by the outcome. It will also rule every other show rising this summer.

In conclusion…

In conclusion, everyone should have the right to make offerings in Epidaurus.

To start a discussion about the exclusion of certain directors and actors from Epidaurus on artistic criteria is fundamentally wrong, because it creates an elitism, which does nothing for the representation of Greek theatre.

one last thing…

Worse than Lena Kitsopoulou and all Lena Kitsopoulou are the viewers who think they have the right to express their feelings during the show.

No matter how much someone dislikes a show, they have the right to get up and leave, as hundreds of people did on both days when “Sphikes” were played at Epidaurus.

However, the few who felt they had to shout things like “shame” and “disgrace” on their way out should be ashamed first of themselves and then of the actors who were on stage at the time doing their best. Text as much as possible, regardless of whether the performance is really bad. They are not responsible for this…

For an actor, being on the stage of Epidaurus is perhaps the highlight of his career and he may never be seen again, no spectator has the right to spoil that moment.

Of course, the spectator concerned disturbs others, who have paid for a ticket and may be enjoying the show in question.

And know what we’re talking about. We live in the 21st century, and cell phones and the Internet are an extension of our hand. It only takes a few minutes of research to find out what Lena Kitsopoulou is all about before booking tickets for her show, let alone being in Epidaurus.

Therefore, no one has the right to say that he fell from the clouds with what he saw …