Following the exceptionally warm reception from audiences and critics, the masterpiece “The Two-Character Play” by the legendary American playwright Tennessee Williams, directed by Nana Papadaki, continues its successful run and is being presented, under the auspices of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy of the United States of America, at select venues across Greece.
After completing its first impressive run of performances in Athens, the production is traveling to Crete, Patras, Thessaloniki, with Vaggelis Papadakis and Nana Papadaki embodying the electrifying leading duo and coming together in a revelatory theatrical palimpsest.
This is a unique opportunity for Greek audiences to enjoy a rare treasure by the popular playwright Tennessee Williams, who described «Two-Character Play» as the «cry of his heart» and as his best work since «A Streetcar Named Desire.»
Tennessee Williams has left an indelible mark on world theater with the rare sensitivity and poetic inspiration of his dramaturgy and characters, and has been honored with two Pulitzer Prizes, one Tony Award, and four New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards.
Plot Summary
The plot of the play unfolds in an unnamed city. Two siblings, Felice and Claire Devoto, have arrived there while touring with their theater troupe. In an empty theater, with no audience, and with their troupe having abandoned them, they are called upon to bring to life a play that seems to be their own lives.
About the play
In Tennessee Williams’s “Two-Character Play” we meet Samuel Beckett, John Cassavetes’s “Opening Night,” Luigi Pirandello’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” «The Song of Solomon,» and even «Plato’s Cave» in a play that navigates the boundaries between fantasy and reality, between confinement and transcendence, and explores the theater’s role as a mirror of our individual and collective consciousness.
The play was rewritten many times by the author between 1966 and 1975 and has also been staged in various versions around the world. The troupe presents the version approved by the author himself and included in the collected volume of all his works.
About the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy of the United States
The performance is presented under the auspices of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy of the United States and is already generating interest in the U.S. The Hellenic Institute of the United States of America, chaired by DeeGee Lester, is in the early stages of discussions to organize a tour of various U.S. cities next spring, which will coincide with the events celebrating Tennessee Williams’s birthday.
About the Maldoror non-profit company
The Maldoror non-profit company operates under the artistic direction of actress, director, and writer Nana Papadaki. «The Two-Character Play» is its eighth successful theatrical production. The company has staged performances in Athens, Elefsina, Skiathos, and Brussels, as well as an audiovisual production in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Malta, Mexico, Brazil, Bulgaria, India, Germany, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Spain, Serbia, and France, for which it has won eight international awards. The group participated recently with the production of Yannis Ritsos’ “Beneath the Shadow of the Mountain,” directed and performed by Nana Papadaki, in Lima, as part of the International Biennial of Peru.
Two-Character Play by Teneessee Williams
Translation: Aliki Katsavou
Direction: Nana Papadaki
Lighting Design: Maria Athanasopoulou
Costumes: Assi Dimitropoulou
Music: Vassilis Tzavaras
Set Design: Nana Papadaki, Vaggelis Papadakis
Assistant Director: Zorget Alimberti
Production Photos: Katerina Arvaniti
Photography – Video: Katerina Tzigotzidou
Graphic Design: Kostas Stefanopoulos (GDStudio)
Public Relations: Marianna Papaki, Nondas Douzinas (Cont Act)
Production: Maldoror non-profit company
Starring: Vaggelis Papadakis, Nana Papadaki
Under the auspices of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy of the United States.
Theatre Reviews
“A theatrical experience that touches on the fragility of human existence without any protective filters.” Elpiniki Ninou, palcosenico
«Nana Papadaki directs with a unique touch, balancing the weight of the play with the psyche of the heroine she portrays […] Vaggelis Papadakis reveals his entire being, giving Felice a multidimensional presence» Mary Zarakoviti, keysmash
«a coherent and substantive staging that treats the text with respect and dramatic clarity» openmind
«A wonderful play by Tennessee Williams […] both actors served the shift through the tunnel of tragedy in a unique way. […] Exceptional performances» Thanassis Sakellariadis, fractal
«A recital of performances in a text that delves into life and the soul» Maria Mari, artistico
«The performances, raw and exposed, walk a tightrope between the role and the stripping bare of the self—where theater ceases to be a performance and becomes a confession.» Chrysoula Zafiraki, crunchynewz
Tour Dates
Chania, Crete
Municipality of Chania
“Dimitris Vlisidis” Theatre
Maridaki & Miaouli Coast
Monday, May 11, 2026, Start time: 9:00 PM
Phone/Reservations: 28213 41613
Heraklion, Crete
Heraklion Improv Theatre – HIT
36C Chandakos Street, Heraklion
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Thursday, May 14, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Phone/Reservations: 2813016467
Rethymno, Crete
The Garage Theate
53 Demokratias Street, Rethymno
Saturday, May 16, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Sunday, May 17, 2026, start time: 7:00 PM
Phone/Reservations: 6932492752
Patras
Lithographion Theatre
172B Maizonos Street, Patras
Saturday, May 23, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Sunday, May 24, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Phone/Reservations: 261 032 8394
Thessaloniki
Sofouli Theatre
5 Trapezountos & Sofouli, Kalamaria
Thursday, May 28, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Friday, May 29, 2026, start time: 9:00 PM
Phone/Reservations: 2310 423925
Advance ticket sales for all tour dates: https://www.ticketservices.gr/event/ergo-dyo-proswpwn/?lang=el
Ticket prices: €15 regular, €12 reduced (youth, 65+, student)
Duration: 80 minutes (no intermission)
