The Categorical Imperative, by Victoria Spunberg
Performed and directed by: Chrisa Kottarakou and Nikolas Papadomichelakis
The system can turn against you at any moment, even if you haven’t deviated an inch from what society expects of you. Even if you are fifty years old and a philosophy professor at a prestigious university. Clara is not at all anti-establishment; she has always done what was expected. She is an ordinary, quiet, curious, obedient woman. Yet suddenly she finds herself on a tightrope: menopause, divorce, a precarious work contract, and an impending eviction from her apartment. All of this will make her reconsider some moral principles that we all take for granted.
The Will to Believe, by Pablo Messiez
Directed by: Panagiotis Gavrelas. Performed by: Panagiotis Gavrelas, Electra Gennata, Valeria Dimitriadou, Chrisa Kottarakou, Grigoria Metheniti, Pavlos Pavlidis
In the trial records of Joan of Arc, when she is asked how she knew that it was the voice of Archangel Michael she was hearing, she answers: “– Because it had the voice of an angel. – How do you know it was the voice of an angel? – Because I wanted to believe it.” Since I read this last phrase, it has accompanied me as a possible definition of theatre and the way belief operates. What is the relationship between will and faith? What makes something believable? What role does the desire to believe play in suggestion? This time, the materials we will use as a starting point for our own storytelling will be "Ordet" (“The Word”) by Kaj Munk and its cinematic adaptation by Carl Dreyer. As in "Ordet", there will be death and resurrection. And above all, the desire to play with the audience’s perception, so that the performance itself becomes a test of their faith.
My Hibernation, by Nieves Rodríguez Rodríguez
Directed by: Eirini Makri. Performed by: Valeria Dimitriadou, Katerina Zisoudi, Eirini Makri, Katerina Synapidou, Nikolas Papadomichelakis
Stockholm, Sweden, sometime after October 2014: the moment when Yarina’s family leaves their homeland, Ukraine, to escape the war. Months after their journey, the family appears before an official who asks them questions about their displacement. He is the person responsible for deciding whether the family will be granted asylum and be allowed to stay in Sweden. On that very day, Yarina falls into a deep and desperate sleep: the resignation syndrome that affects many children after exile and forced displacement procedures. Yarina sleeps motionless, but through her narration, we learn what is happening to her entire family during this time, who stay by her side and care for her: how her sister saves money to buy her a blue and orange bicycle; the parents’ hopes as they await the decision about the family’s future; the arrival of her sister’s new friend, who is Russian. Months of waiting pass while Yarina sleeps… and then another eight years, until Ukraine faces invasion again, this time in the present day.
Australia, by Israel Solá
Directed by: Valeria Dimitriadou. Performed by: Chrisa Kottarakou, Eirini Makri, Valeria Dimitriadou, Peter Jaques
Anna is married to Andy, and they live in Australia, Andy’s homeland. Her sisters, Eleni and Vasso, live in Athens. Anna and Andy have been trying for years to have a child without success. Because Anna is 42, her doctors recommend trying artificial insemination again, this time using an egg from a younger donor. Eleni, 39, had previously stated that she would never have children. Yet when Anna asks her to donate her eggs, she immediately agrees. Eleni and Vasso travel to Australia, where the hormone treatments and artificial insemination will take place.
This dramatic comedy, based on true events, raises questions about serious ethical issues in genetics as well as family relationships. In a world where the concept of family is evolving rapidly, what does the word truly mean? Is family something given, or can we choose it? Is it only a matter of blood, or a bond with the people we decide to include in our lives?
