AGAMEMNON by Aeschylus
- Saturday, July 14Curium Ancient Theatre
- Sunday, July 15Curium Ancient Theatre
- Performances start at:
21:00
Please arrive at Curium Ancient Theatre before 20:15
The renowned Lithuanian director, Cezaris Graužinis, with an outstanding group of actors and artists, directs the first part of Aeschylus’ trilogy, Oresteia, Agamemnon and creates a performance about the origins and future of human violence.
King Agamemnon returns to Argos, shortly after the end of the Trojan War. He triumphantly marches into the city and his palace, flaunting the Trojan princess and Apollo priestess Cassandra, as his spoils of war. Clytemnestra welcomes her husband, with effusive praise and honors, however it is quickly revealed that her enthusiasm conceals a well-orchestrated plan. She has decided to take revenge for the murder of their daughter, Iphigenia, sacrificed by Agamemnon to get the Greek ships afloat over ten years ago. The red carpet she rolls out for Agamemnon’s return foreshadows the impending bloodbath, when she and her accomplice/lover, Aegisthus, murder the king and his concubine.
- With English surtitles
- Translation:Yorgos Blanas
- Direction:
Cezaris Graužinis
- Set and costume design:
Kenny MacLellan
- Music and music instruction:
Haris Pegiazis
- Choreography – Movement Direction:
Eddie Lame
- Lighting design:
Alekos Yiannaros
- Assistant to the director:
Sygklitiki Vlahaki
- Production Manager:
Anastasia Kavalari
- Artistic direction of Stefi & Lynx Productions:Aliki Danezi Knutsen
Cast:
- Clytemnestra:
Maria Protopappa
- Agamemnon/Aegisthus:Yannis Stankoglou
- Herald:Argyris Pantazaras
- Cassandra:Iovi Fragatou
- Watchman:Thodoris Katsafados
Chrorus
Markos Gettos,
Dimitris Georgiadis,
Tasos Theofilatos,
Panagos Ioakim,
Dimitris Karaviotis,
Ilias Menagier,
Dimitris Miliotis,
Alexandros Moukanos,
Alexandros Balamotis,
Vasilis Papageorgiou,
Klearchos Papageorgiou,
Giorgos Papandreou
Director’s note
This story of Aeschylus expresses, with an astonishing power, the absurdity of human destiny.
Indeed, we will be eternally defeated in our battle with fear.
Indeed, we constantly built cities, and become prisoners of the jails we’ve created with our own hands.
Indeed, we wait for our saviours and when they finally arrive, we realise they deserve nothing but our pity.
Indeed, what we call “justice”, will sooner or later lead us towards destruction /crime.
We are all guilty.
Punishment is inevitable.
Happy is the one who has succeeded in getting rid of Hope and Expectation and has learned Patience.
The world of Agamemnon is gloomy. But do permit that our journey into his world be meaningful and exciting, since I believe that our guide – Poetry – knows the way towards joy.
Cezaris Graužinis
Cezaris Graužinis
Cezaris Graužinis was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1967, and studied acting and directing in Moscow, at the State Institute of Theater (GIATS). In 1993, he was trained in the Suzuki method by Tadashi Suzuki in Japan. Since 2003, he has been a founder and artistic director of the Vilnius independent theater group “cezario grupė”, which has been honoured with several state and other awards. He was the artistic director of the theater “Viirus” in Helsinki.
In 1994, he began to teach acting at the Academy of Theater and Music in Lithuania. He has worked as a visiting professor at the Malmö Theater Academy in Sweden and the Finnish Academy of Theater. He has taught acting in international seminars in Mexico, the Faroe Islands, Poland, Latvia and Romania.
He has directed more than 50 plays with the “cezario grupė” team, some of which are: Winter’s Tale, Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth by W. Skakespeare, Attempts on her Life by A.Crimp, Arabian night by R. Schimmelpfennig, Tree Sisters by A.Chekvoh, Woyzech by G. Büchner, The second surprise of Love by Marivaux, as well as his own works The Day of Lithuania, All or Nothing, Kisses, Oscar …, Esplendido Despues, that were presented at festivals around the world.
His first direction in Greece was Daphne and Chloe, Leisure Journey, at Poreia Theater, awarded with the 2007 “Karolos Koun Directing Award”. He then directed Waiting for Godot by S. Beckett for the Athens Festival, 2008.
He directed Zorba, the real story for the National Theater, 2009. In collaboration with the National Theater of Northern Greece he directed Déjà vu, nominated for the “Koun International Repertory Prize” 2010.
He wrote and directed the comic monologue De Sade. To Zustin, presented in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Kaunas (Lithuania) during 2010-2015.
In the summer of 2012, he directed Oedipus Rex, a Municipal Theater of Volos, Epidaurus Festival and Arbitrition co-production, for which he won the Prize of the Theater and Music Critics Association in the Ancient Drama category.
He adapted and directed Plutus by Aristophanes, at the Municipal Theater of Patra, 2012-2013.
In 2015, he directed Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar at the Athens & Epidaurus Festival and the monologue Job with Thanasis Tsaltabasis at Ilisia-Volanakis Theater.
In 2016 and 2017, he directed Seven against Thebes by Aeschylus for the National Theater of Northern Greece, presented at the Epidaurus Festival.
Since 2016 he is the head of theater studies of the Municipal Theater of Patra.