Institute for Mediterranean Studies

Sources Modern Greek Theatre

Sources of the History of Modern Greek Theatre

The main objective of this research project is the creation of a national database which will include all available sources for the study and research of the Modern Greek Theater. In the project Sources of History of Modern Greek Theatre a wealth of evidence on the theatrical activity of the travels of Greek acting companies across the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea has been collected so far. The main focus of the program since its foundation is the introduction of new theatre scientists in the field of research methodology in the history of Modern Greek Theatre and Culture through systematic research training through their continuous processing of archival material and documentation.

Scientific Responsible Thodoros Hadjipantazis, Antonis Glytzouris, Constantina Georgiadi

Research Team (1987-): Maria Broulia, Agapi Giouna, Antonis Glytzouris, , Constantina Georgiadi, Xanthi Zachariadou, Mary Kapy, Stelios Kymionis, IoannaKyriakidou, Antigoni Manasi, Maria Mathioudaki, Dimitris Matthaios, Tonia Mavraki, Maria Mavrogeni, Theano Michailidou, Panayiota Mini, Kalliopi Morou, OlgaMoschochoritou, Angeliki Mpichaki, Ioanna Papageorgiou, Vania Papanikolaou, Eleni Papatheothorou, Ioulia Pipinia, Manolis Seiragakis, Anna Stavrakopoulou, Areti Vasileiou, Nikoleta Vougia,Vera Tsagkari, Litsa Agrimaki-Chatzopoulou

The main objective of this research project is the creation of a national database which will include all available sources for the study and research of the Modern Greek Theater. In the project Sources of History of Modern Greek Theatre a wealth of evidence on the theatrical activity of the travels of Greek acting companies across the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea has been collected so far. The main focus of the program since its foundation is the introduction of new theatre scientists in the field of research methodology in the history of Modern Greek Theatre and Culture through systematic research training through their continuous processing of archival material and documentation.

 

Description and Content

The Archive of the research project Sources of the History of modern Greek Theatre

The project is a reference point for the academic theatre community and several scientific works and doctoral theses have been supported by the collected archival information.

A. Recording of theatrical activity in daily newspapers and magazines

All available daily newspapers as well as magazines have been indexed, as have all the annual 19th century Greek Calendars. Specifically, 3,500 annual volumes of newspapers have been indexed on approximately 300,000 cards, and over 15,000 articles have been photographed and classified in 253 files.

B. Archive of Theatrical Plays

Rare plays, manuscripts and publications of Greek and foreign dramaturgy in translation. The archive possesses more than 1,300 plays.

C. Theoretical texts

Forewords from rare editions and valuable theatrical magazines. The archive contains over 220 theoretical texts .

D. Playbills and Posters

A significant number of 20th century playbills and posters (1960-). The archive is in the process of cataloguing.

E. Archive of Doctoral Theses

Finally, there is a considerable number of doctoral theses carried out at Greek and foreign universities, in the academic field of the History of the Modern Greek Theatre.

 

Recent acquisitions (in process of cataloguing):

F. A collection of 150 handwritten performances by the shadow puppet theatre player Vasileios Andrikopoulos (Vasilaros)
G. Nikolaos Laskaris Archive
H. Archive of Thodoros Kritikos’ theatrical reviews (1964-1993)
I. Thodoros Hadjipantazis’ Playbills Collection
J. Gelina Harlaftis’ Playbills Collection

 

Selected Publications:

  • Th. Hadjipantazis, From the Nile to the Danube. The chronicle of the development of the professional Greek theatre in the wider context of the Eastern Mediterranean, from the establishment of the independent state until the Asia Minor disaster. Volume A1: As a phoenix from its ashes... (1825-1875) and Volume A2: Appendix, Heraklio: Crete University Press, 2002.
  • Th. Hadjipantazis, Greek Comedy and its models in the 19th Century, Heraklio: Crete University Press, 2004
  • Th. Hadjipantazis, The Greek Historical Drama from 19th to 20th century, Heraklio: Crete University Press, 2006.
  • Th. Hadjipantazis, From the Nile to the Danube. The chronicle of the development of the professional Greek theatre in the wider context of the Eastern Mediterranean, from the establishment of the independent state until the Asia Minor disaster. Volume B1-B2: Ensign missionaries of nationalism…, 1876-1897, Crete University Press, 2012.
  • Th. Hadjipantazis, A diagram of the History of Modern Greek Theatre, Crete University Press, 2014.
  • Antonis Glytzouris, Wishes of an Eagle, Wings of a Butterfly (Πόθος αετού και φτερά πεταλούδας): Nikos Kazantzakis' Early Drama and the European Avant-Garde. A Contribution to the Study of Decadence in the Modern Greek Theatre of the early 20th century, Crete University Press, 2009.
  • A. Glytzouris – K. Georgiadi (eds.),Tradition and Modernization in the Modern Greek Theater. From its Beginnings to the Post-war Era, Proceedings of the Third Pan-Hellenic Conference of Theatre Studies, Herakleio: Crete University Press, 2010.
  • Antonis Glytzouris, Stage Direction in Greece; The Rise and Consolidation of the Stage Director in Modern Greek Theatre, Herakleio: Crete University Press, 2011.
  • Constantina Georgiadi (ed.), Towards a Scientific Approach in Shadow Puppet Theatre, Crete University Press, Heraklio, 2015, 384p.
  • Antonis Glytzouris, Constantina Georgiadi, Maria Mavrigeni (eds.), Early reception of Realism and Naturalism in the Greek Theater, Institute for Mediterranean Studies-FORTH, 2016, 199p.

Project Team

Constantina Georgiadi

Constantina Georgiadi

Principal Researcher, Department Coordinator Theatre and Film Studies
Curriculum vitae
Valena Papadopoulou

Valena Papadopoulou

Postgraduate student