INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR ANCIENT GREEK  DRAMA

The International Summer Institute for Ancient Greek Drama started in the year 1998 as a summer school activity, running parallelly with the International Meeting and Festival of Theatre Schools, organised under the auspices of the Cultural Identity and Development Committee of the International Theatre Institute, as a yearly event. In the year 2000 it was upgrated to an Institute running a Professionsl Summer Session on Ancient Greek Drama.

The International Summer Institute for Ancient Greek Drama and Theatre became gradually a centre for the study of various method in approaching and performing ancient greek plays.

Partallel activity, is the workshop production of an ancient Greek play, illusrate in a practical way the diversity of approaches employed in producing ancient Greek drama for contemporary audiences.

2007  ACTIVITY REPORT

The International Summer Institute for Ancient Greek Drama, in co-operation with the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute, thanks to the support of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Droushia Community Council, was able to organize the yearly educational and cultural events on the study and presentation of ancient Greek drama, at the Pafos Ancient Odeon and Droushia.

Meanwhile, during the first three months of the year, the Institute following a circular note of the director of Secondary Education Mr. Christos Pandelides,

toured a presentation of scenes from Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, mainly to students of the second form of Lyceums, where the play is on the curriculum. The students as well as the teachers found the experience a valuable supplement for the understanding of the lesson.

The Professional Session of the Institute started on 9 July at the Conference  Hall of the Cyprotel Droushia Heights on an every day basis, between 09.00 and 13.00, for four weeks, until 4 August 2007.

The afternoon practical lessons started on the same date on the PERSIANS  by Aeschylus and LYSISTRATA by Aristophanes and ended with the presentation of the two workshop productions on the 5th and 10th of August at the Pafos Ancient Odeon and on the 4th  and 6th, at the Droushia Open Air  Theatre. The PERSIANS was directed by Prof. Heinz-Uwe Haus and LYSISTRATA by Nicos Shiafkalis and Prof. Michael Ewans.

The participants of the Summer Institute were: John Knauss, post- graduate of theatre studies at the University of Delaware, U.S.A, Ricardo Zeger, also  post- graduate of theatre studies at Delaware University, U.S.A, Amanda Haney, graduate student of stage design at the Antioch University of California, Diana Trifonos, theatre student at the University of Chichcester  of U.K, Efthymia Priki , from the University of Cyprus, Tim Squirrel from the American Academy of Pafos  and Efthymios Shiafkalis, young Cypriot actor.  [ relative programme attached ].

Prof. Freddy Decreus from Gent University of Belgium, Prof. Heinz-Uwe Haus from the University of Delaware of U.S.A, George Mikellis, theatrologist from Greece and director Nicos Shiafkalis from Cyprus, lectured for a week each during the morning sessions.

Within the same framework of activities, the DDS Summer Institute organized the week of the International Meeting and Festival of Theatre Schools, between 23 and 29 July.

The participating schools were: the Higher School of Dramatic Art ‘Embros-Theatroergastirion’ , the Lebanese University of Beyrouth, the University of Delaware of U.S.A, the National Theatre Institute of Sri Lank and “Vladimiros Kafkarides” Theatre School of Nicosia[ programme attached ].

The scenes were presented at the Pafos Ancient Odeon on 25 and 26 July 2007.

All students and  professors during that week attended the activities of the Summer Institute and had the opportunity to discuss amongst them the diverse approaches regarding the presentation of ancient Greek drama.

The activities of DDS Summer Institute have been established as an exemplary expression of the priority given by the I.T.I to artistic education and they illustrate in a practical way the diversity of approaches that can be used in the production of ancient Greek drama.

The summer events were concluded by a farewell party at the pool bar of the Cyprotel Droushia Heights, in the presence of the Droushia Community Council president Mr. Stelios Koupparis and the president of the Cyprus Centre of I.T.I., Mr. Christakis Georgiou.

INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA

2008 ACTIVITY REPORT

The International Summer Institute for Ancient Greek Drama, in co-operation with the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute, thanks to the support of the Cultural Services f the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Droushia Community Council, was able to organize the yearly educational and cultural events on the study and presentation of ancient Greek drama, at the Paphos Ancient Odeon.

The professional session of the Institute started on 1 July at the Conference Hall of Cyprotel Droushia Heights on an every day basis, between 10.00 and 13.00, for three weeks, until 23 July 2008 .

The afternoon practical lessons started on the same date, with exercises on movement by choreographer Skevi Menelaou and on speech by Nikos Shiafkalis. Part of the training was also watching the performances of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama at the Paphos Acient Odeon and video projections of famous performances. All the performances were discussed, as part of the training method, by the participants, who also had the opportunity to watch rehearsals of the workshop production of the Trackers by Sophocles.

Prof. Freddy Decreus from Gent University of Belgium, Prof. Ahmed Etman from the University of Cairo, George Mikellis , theatrologist , from Greece, Dr. Stellios Hadjistyllis and Nikos Shiafkalis from Cyprus, lectured during morning and afternoon sessions.

Within the same framework of activities, the DDS Summer Institute organized the week of the International Meeting and Festival of Theatre schools, between 13 and 23 July.

The participating schools were: the Moscow Theatre School ‘M. Shchepkin ', the Lebanese University of Beyrouth , the University of Cairo , the University of Gent and the Experimental workshop of the Cyprus University .

The scenes were presented at the Paphos Ancient Odeon on 22 July 2008 .

All students and professors during that period attended the activities of the Summer Institute and had the opportunity to discuss amongst them the diverse approaches regarding the presentation of ancient Greek drama. The activities of DDS Summer Institute have been established as an exemplary expression of the priority given by the I.T.I to artistic education and they illustrate in a practical way the diversity of approaches that can be used in the production of ancient Greek drama .

The summer events were concluded by a farewell meeting at the conference room of the Cyprotel Droushia Heights, in the presence of the Secretary General of the Cultural Identity and Development Committee of the I.T.I the president of the Cyprus Centre of I.T.I, Mr. Christakis Georgiou.

2008 REPORT ON THE
INTERNATIONAL MEETING AND FESTIVAL OF THEATRE SCHOOLS

The members of the jury arrived at the decision of awarding the prizes after a detailed discussion of all the scenes that were presented at the PAPHOS ANCIENT ODEON taking into account all the aspects of the interpretesional approaches of the different schools which consciously or subconsciously carry their traditional cultures as a determining factor. The first conclusion that the jury unanimously arrived at was that the general level of the performances was more than satisfactory and they appreciated the genuine emotion they showed in presenting to the best of their ability the scenes they acted. One of the specific factors the members of the jury took into account was the pedagogical character of the whole project but at the same time they took into account the level of their interpretational skill to the best of their ability.

Accordingly the jury decided:

1st prize : Russia

The Moscow Mali Theatre School ‘M. Shchepkin '

for Hippolite by Euripides

Directed; Shuysky Alexandre

Cast; Olga Larionova , Anna Khalilulina

2nd prize:

Lebanese University of Beyrouth

for Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Director: Elie Lahoud

Cast: Alain Saade , Leyale Ghanem , Charbel Ghostine

shared with

University of Cairo

A Belle in the Prison of Socrates, after the Clouds , by Aristophanes, by Ahmed Etman

Director: Hani Afifi

Cast: Amal Abt Alla , Walied El Sayed , Hani Afifi

3rd prize:

Cyprus University

Experimental Workshop of Creative Expression

for MEDEA by Euripides

Director: Efthimia Priki

Cast: Efthimia Priki , Nikolas Kakkoufa , Petros Michael

shared with

MEDEA by EURIPIDES

Cast: Jessy Khalil - Beiruit University

Jo Hierman -University of Ghent

Yours,

Nicos Shiafkalis

Printer Brochure 2008.pdf

GoToTop