BEΝΕΑΤΗ THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN (2018)

Theatre Argo

17.02.2018 – 15.04.2018

Old Oil Mill of Eleusis / Aisxylia Festival

16.09.2018

Beneath the Shadow of the Mountain belongs to the masterpiece The Fourth Dimension by Yiannis Ritsos and refers to the Atreides cycle and specifically to the mythical Electra. The power of Ritsos’ writing elevates the myth into a space of coupling reality and dream, contemplation, quest and existential anguish, as myth meets contemporary history. The performance was presented for two years on a central Athenian stage, the second year together with the Tribute to Yannis Ritsos for the 110th anniversary of his birth, in Eleusis, as part of the main program of the Aisxylia Festival, as well as in Brussels following an honorary invitation by Hellenic Circle – Cultural Association in Brussels. In a ruined house at the foot of a mountain, Electra addresses her silent Nurse in a confessional monologue where personal remembrance unfolds into collective history. Through Ritsos’ associative imagery, lyricism, irony, and existential intensity, myth becomes a contemporary space for reflecting on trauma, identity, and the possibility of healing. Engaging Maldoror’s axes of Cultural Memory and Greek Writing and Female Identity and Human Experience, the production reactivates one of the defining works of modern Greek poetry through an embodied encounter between language, memory, and performance.

©Katerina Tzigotzidou

Production Credits

Direction & Performance: Nana Papadaki
Artistic Supervision & Lighting Design: George Zorbas
Set & Costume Design: Assi Dimitrolopoulou
Original Music: Vassilis Tzavaras
Assistant Director: Spyros Betsis
Curator (Small Argo full of Art): Chrysa Kapsouli
Photography: Katerina Tzigotzidou, Giannis Kouskoutis
Press: Aris Asproulis

©Giannis Kouskoutis

Press / Reviews

“Ritsos forever. Beneath the Shadow of the Mountain, with Nana Papadaki’s extraordinary physical expressiveness and stage virtuosity, is a remarkable feat of performance—one that gives form to the ineffable and makes the intangible visible. […] She demonstrates exceptional stage inventiveness and remarkable plasticity, revealing the metaphysical dimension of the work, its lyricism, and its timelessness. […] Equally outstanding are the dreamlike set and costume design by the ever-sensitive and masterful Assi Dimitrolopoulou.”

— Konstantinos Bouras, Grafein

“A captivating monologue—Ritsos’ favourite dramatic form—a woman, a half-ruined mansion on a mountain, an autumn night, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. The production is directed by Nana Papadaki, who delivers a compelling and deeply accomplished performance.”

— Giota Salma, Clevernews

“Only a few objects occupy the stage, waiting to be brought to life by the protagonist through an inventive directorial approach. The focus rests on Yannis Ritsos’ demanding text, rich in imagery and symbolism, and on its powerful interpretation. The lighting further intensifies the actress’s movement and expression. Nana Papadaki, who both directs and performs, deserves the highest praise, as do all the collaborators for this accomplished production. Highly recommended.”

— Vangelis Mastoropoulos, Theatro.gr

“Among the most successful theatre productions of the season is Yannis Ritsos’ Beneath the Shadow of the Mountain, directed and performed by Nana Papadaki. […] One is moved by her profound respect for the text—for the works of poets do not invite self-indulgent deconstruction. Equally moving is the production’s stage architecture.”

— Manolis Polentas, Avgi

“Yannis Ritsos’ poetic Fourth Dimension, theatrically reimagined by Nana Papadaki, unfolds a deliberate poeticity that embraces characters and subjectivities recognising themselves through subtle irony and the tragic condition of both self and history. […] Papadaki approaches the silences that emerge from Fourth Dimension, revealing historical landscapes capable of being heard even through silence itself. She inhabits the poetic text, its contradictions, and its characters, who surrender—even erotically—to the passage of time.”

— Simos Andronidis, Nostimon Imar

“As both director and performer, Nana Papadaki renders the unfolding threads of memory through a richly nuanced performance, moving effortlessly between restraint and intensity, speech and silence. Against an almost empty stage, the sparse set by Assi Dimitrolopoulou evokes both a glorious past and contemporary decline, while George Zorbas’ lighting subtly shapes the shifting landscapes of the narrative. Vassilis Tzavaras’ original score accompanies the performance with precision and sensitivity.”

— Stesichoros Chersikratis, republished in Epi Skinis

©Giannis Kouskoutis

Media / Links

Official page of Greek actress, director, poet, and writer Nana Papadaki, and of Maldoror, the non-profit company operating under her artistic direction.