At the service of magical creatures
Athens, 25/11/2018
Stathis Markopoulos, puppeteer, puppet maker, 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: Greek/English
Given that the essence, but also the potential of every kind of usage of the puppet (theatrical, educational, therapeutic, ritual, advertising, children's play etc.) emerges from its inherent theatricality and its potential life (the magical probability to wake up and look us in the eye or even to shake hands with us), the workshop explores the terms and conditions under which the phenomenon of "animization" actually happens as well as the techniques for its purposeful use. The medium is -as always in the arts- the initiate spectator. Through activities and improvisational experiments, we are going to work out and guide the spectator’s eye to recognize the signs of life, but also we will try to transcend the limits of the conventional art in order to serve, on their demand, the magical creatures that we call "puppets"
Stathis Markopoulos studied at the State Academy of Puppetry and Alternative Theatre of Prague. He served his apprenticeship at the workshop and street performances of the Spanish puppet company “Marionetas del Matadero” and attended several trainings with Faulty Optic, Improbable Theatre, Mikhaill Khussid, Michael Meschke, Bonyo Loungov and other puppeteers. Since 1992, he works professionally on the field of puppet theatre in Greece and abroad, in productions of “Ayusaya! Puppet Theatre” as well as in collaboration with other theatre and puppet companies in more than 30 productions, designing, making, directing and performing with all kinds of puppets. He has participated in many International Festivals, congresses and training programs on various aspects of puppetry, in collaboration with independent organizations. In the laboratory of “Ayusaya! Puppet Theatre”, he runs an annual adult training course on marionettes, mechanics and animation from which have emerged many of today’s young professionals