Karolos Koon" Art Theater

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

"Karolos Koon" Art Theater

The "Karolos Koon" Art Theater is a theater production company founded in 1942 by Karolos Koon. Thanks to that Greek audience met the great foreign and contemporary writers, such as Federico García Lorca, Bertold Brecht, Samuel Beckett, Dario Fo, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet et al. and through his course he highlighted young Greek writers, such as Iakovos Kampanelis, P. Horn, Giorgos Skourtis, Loula Anagnostaki, M. Laina, G. Sevastikoglou, Noti Pergiali, D. Kehaidis, A. Solomos and others.

History

The first performance of the Art Theater was given on October 7, 1942 at the Aliki Theater and it was the play Wild Ducks by Ibsen.

From 1942, the Art Theater wandered around in various theater roofs, especially in the Aliki Theater until 1954, when it acquired a permanent roof in the "Basement" of the Orfea Cinema gallery on Pesmazoglou Street and creating the first circular theater in Greek theatrical terms, capacity of 230 seats.

In 1942 he opened the Drama School of the Art Theater[8], with the aim of promoting new playwrights and actors, who are closer to the problems of modern society and of each place, alongside the aesthetic currents of other countries as well as the interpretation of ancient drama.

In the period from 1950 to 1954, the Art Theater had suspended its operation due to financial and internal problems. When it reopened in 1954, in the now permanent theater of Orpheus, the first performance given there was Thornton Wilder's Our Little Town, which was a presentation by the students of the drama school.

In 1956 he created the Summer Garden Theater in Thessaloniki, where he presented his winter repertoire and toured the cities of Northern Greece for ten years.

In 1957, he slowly and steadily enters the field of ancient drama with the works Plutos, Frogs, Lysistrata, Acharnis, Perses, Irene, Prometheus Bound, Electra, Oedipus Tyrannus, etc.. Slowly - slowly the style of his interpretation ancient drama gives him worldwide recognition through international festivals and tours as well as his memorable four performances at the Theater of Nations with the plays Ornithes in 1962, which won the First prize,] Persians in 1965, Irene and Oedipus Tyrannus in 1979 and with Acharnis in 1982.

In 1959, as part of the Athens Festival, the Art Theater staged Ornithes at the Herodeum. Kuhn's direction emphasized the folk style of the play, causing backlash and ultimately the cancellation of the scheduled performances, following government intervention. In 1962, this performance won the prize for the best national performance in Paris. In 1964 the Hens were presented in London, where they were staged in 1965 and 1967. In 1975 the Hens were staged at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, as part of the Festival, making the Art Theater the first theater, apart from the National Theatre, to participate in the Festival.

In 1975, the need for a second Stage for the public led the Art Theater to create a Second Stage, the People's Stage, which was housed in the Veaki Theater until 1983.

In 1985, the Greek state, wanting to honor Karolos Koon for his invaluable contribution to the history of the Greek Theatre, helped him to create a second permanent Stage, providing a space where the Karolos Koon Art Theater opened on Frynichou Street in Plaka.

In 1987, after the death of Master Karolos Koun, the Art Theater continued to operate in both Stages, with George Lazani as Managing Director and Mimi Kouyoumtzis as Deputy Managing Director.

From 2005 to 2014 Diagoras Chronopoulos was the Artistic Director of the Theater and Director of the Drama School.

Artistic Director of the Art Theater since 2014 is the director anda uthor Marianna Kalbari.