Debut Reading of Michalakis’ “The Original Sin: The Life of Anthony Quinn”

Dimitri  C. Michalakis’ “The Original Sin: The Life of Anthony Quinn” made its debut reading on Saturday, May 28, 2011 at New York University’s Silver Center, located on Washington Square in the heart of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Quinn, who played an important part in “The Guns of Navarone” and the leading role in “Zorba the Greek,” is well-beloved in the Greek community for his heart-felt depiction of Greek men, whose passion cools almost as fast as it boils. According to the synopsis of this dramatization of his life provided in the handbill, “The actor is pursued by the boy he used to be as he comes to terms with his birth in Mexico and hard scrapple life in The United States, and by an epic life and epic success that brings him both pleasure and pain.”

Peter Mele did an excellent job performing the part of Anthony Quinn, as did the “Six Women of the Theatre Society,” who played the parts of his mother, sister, grandmother, Mae West, Katherine De Mille, and Janet. The term “dramatization” probably describes better than “play” this performance because it was primarily based on the actors’ reading of their parts from Michalakis’ script.

Despite the hardship of performing their roles without stage props and professional costumes, their dramatization must be judged as a huge success in light of the loud and sustained applause that rang out in the packed Silver Center at the production’s end. It left everyone in the auditorium that afternoon clamoring to see a full-scale production of Michalakis’ magnificent achievement. Broadway finally needs to wake-up and pay attention to Dimitri Michalakis, a veteran screen-writer and playwright, who has a real winner here. Whether produced “on or off” Broadway, every Greek should make it his or her business to see it! (source: Lambros Homer Athens)

Dimitri C. Michalakis is the editor-in-chief of the popular Neo and Odyssey magazines. “The Original Sin: The Life of Anthony Quinn” will be theatrically performed when proper funding is in place.  For more information please contact: d.michalakis@neomagazine.com.  Let’s hope Michalakis receives the sponsorship his play deserves.