danzon_eng

Photo: Giannis Papaioannou When The Republic of Baklava , receiver of the First Audience Award at the Athens Epidaurus Festival, arrived in Istanbul in 2023 as part of the IKSV Theatre Festival, it was hailed as a "pioneer of a new generation of Greek theater." Upon seeing it myself, I was left in awe by the text’s sharp wit, its mature humor, the innovative nature of its staging, and the chemistry among a cast of actors who were, individually and collectively, a sheer delight to watch. At the heart of The Republic of Baklava lies a Turkish-Greek couple who decide to establish their own nation-state, utilizing their home and workplace as its centre. Presented as a mockumentary set against a fictional backdrop, the piece features "researchers" who take the stage to, in a sense, reconstruct the history, conflicts, and legacy of this tiny nation. Commissioned to mark the bicentennial of Greece’s independence in 1821, the play chooses to poke fun at the weight of histo...

In this series of interviews we try to get to know the directors/choreographers who will be the international guests at the 23rd Istanbul Theatre Festival in November 2019. Our fifth guest is Prodromos Tsinikoris. Ayse Draz & Mehmet Kerem Ozel Art Unlimited Performing Arts Editor & Writer [The Turkish translation of this interview is published and can be accessed on  art.unlimited ] Prodromos Tsinikoris  What is the spirit of theatre in your opinion? How do you define contemporary theatre today? I see theatre as a publically staged political act to which everyone should feel free and invited to participate. It should ask the important and right questions for our time and open a new place of discourse for daring and provocative approaches in order to create a proposal for a future as we imagine it. Do you believe in the transformative power of art? How?   By presenting different stories and creating alternative narratives against a mainstream ...