Εuripides Helen: the truth through deception
Athens, 24/11/2018
Georgina Kakoudaki, theatre theoretician, director, Greece
Workshop 2,5 hours
Part of the 2018 ATHENS GREECE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE/DRAMA & EDUCATION CONFERENCE
organised by the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr)
Language: English-Greek
The workshop focuses on the theatrical ways of teaching literary texts. It will be based on Euripides theatre play ‘Helen’, which is taughtas language and ancient literature course at the Greek Secondary School (9th grade). The aim of the workshop is to suggest alternative ways with which the teacher can work with a course book of the school curriculum and seek ideas, motives, literary qualities that stand out in ancient tragedy. Themes that occur are: the anagnorisis (recognition), the waiting, the narration of the epic,the staging of the chorus parts, the announcement of unexpected news as well as the art of deceit.Through stage acts, experiential exercises, improvisation and other acting activities, dramaturgy analysis and approaches of theatre in education in texts, Euripides’ Helen will be reinvented for stage, as a contemporary theatre play that relates to present questions;even though there might not be answers. At the end of the workshop we will discuss ways of creating follow up educational material, based on the professional performance for teenage audiences of Helen held at Neos Kosmos Theatre and secondary schools in 2018-2019 and its follow up educational pack for teachers. The workshop’s target group is secondary education teachers (with priority to people who teach the theatrical play Eleni in Greek schools) as well as people who would like to have an experience of how we can de- and re- construct ancient drama through theatre.
Georgina Kakoudaki is a theatre theoretician and director. Since 2009, she’s been directing youth theatre performances such as Vivid Film/After the foam (devised), Jack Thorne’s Burying your brother in the pavement, Αristophanes’ The birds, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Goethe’s Faust, Sophocles’ Antigone, Aristophanes’ The clouds, Euripides Eleni, (October 2018, at the Neos Kosmos Theatre and high schools in and around Athens). Georgina has also collaborated with over 30 theatre and dance companies as a dramaturg. Shehas taught at the Theatre Studies Department of the University of Patras and the University of the Peloponnese in Nafplion, the Department of Early Childhood Education in University of Thessaly as well as in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She’s also taught drama and theatre education at numerous public organizations specializing in educating adults and in International Theatre in Education Programmes. Currently she teaches Theatre History and Dramaturgy at Drama Schools. She co-wrote the books: Theatre and Theatre Education (IDEKE 2007) and Paths of Experiential Learning (Kedros publications 2011). She has written the Arts Schools Students’ course book specializing on Theatre Directing and Film Directing/Film Aesthetics (IEP 2015). Since April 2016, she is the Head consultant of Educational Programs of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival.