Theater Talk with Perseus Director Eleni Kafetzi

She is the person behind the success of Perseus, the multimedia performance which premiered at Strub Theatre in Los Angeles in June.

Apart from directing performances for the Arts Organization, IthakArts, Eleni Kafetzi has proven her talent long before that, having a successful track record as a theatrical director. Eleni, with the contribution of other talented Greeks like Dimitris Bogiantzis and Ioannis Markoulakis succeeded in exciting and captivating the spectators who saw the play. Eleni talked to us about the journey of Perseus and about her work which includes very interesting upcoming projects.

Tell us about your work
The focus of my work is on interdisciplinary and hybrid performances -a marriage between performing, literary and visual arts. I am exploring the integration of different genres and mediums, more specifically, experimenting with the fusion of theatre, music, movement, dance, film and other media. I am interested in the expressions emerging during improvisation, while developing collaborative and cross-cultural approaches. I like to create musical and visual landscapes, and I am attracted to such forms as physical and visual theatre, performance art, live art, as well as devised performance. Influenced by ancient Greek theatre, music-drama and dance theatre, I am investigating the usage of music and movement for the expression of the dramatic action; Musical, visual and dramatic elements are strongly interfused. The human body becomes a vehicle for expression, as well as a medium for creating images, sound and concepts. While embracing the unexpected of live performance and venturing into vulnerability and naked exposure, I am interested in the exchange of energy, the interaction and the experiential dialogue that happens in the moment between performers and audience. My work revolves around stimulating the sensory; I am drawn to non-realistic, abstract and symbolic forms, through which I can create multi-sensory and cathartic experiences for artists and audiences alike.

Tell us how the theatrical play Perseus started
Perseus -an interactive multimedia performance blending theatre, music, dance, poetry, circus and animation- is part of a series of interdisciplinary works based on mythology, that Prof. Anna Krajewska-Wieczorek, my artistic collaborator, and I, started developing. We were interested in exploring the ancient tales through a variety of artistic mediums. We are very attracted to the symbolic aspect of the myths and were intrigued by their depth and wisdom. During our research, we re-discovered in mythology an endless source of inspiration, abundant imagination, and great multi-layered stories raising philosophical questions while addressing universal themes. When revisiting Greek mythology, I was fascinated by the myth of Perseus. The allegoric character of the tale was resonating to me. Additionally, set on a magical, and at the same time, minimalistic tone, the story could offer a stimulating audio-visual experience, and was ideal for creating a dream world -a fairytale for all ages. Themes like facing and overcoming fears, struggling with personal medusas, the journey of self-discovery, the quest for truth, love and inner peace, were some of the concepts that I wanted to explore through that piece.

What were the challenges you faced while bringing this play to life?
The myth of Perseus contains a lot of action, multiple adventures, quite a bit of travelling and many different stories within itself. We were very interested in the aspect of the journey as a metaphor for life’s journey and in the symbolisms that we could detect in the myth. Along with dramaturg Anna Krajewska-Wieczorek, who also translated the ancient Greek poetry, we faced the question of how to stress the attention on specific elements that we wanted to explore within the myth, while respectfully telling the story in its integrity. After writing the script, we started a process of editing and elimination. Movement, music, dance, rhythm, colors and animation, were equally important parts of the piece and were treated as dramatic tools to express concepts, meanings, and ideas. Editing the script and the poetry to only the essential was a considerable part of the work. Additionally, the specific piece is technically quite demanding, since it involves multiple projections coming from multiple directions, performers interacting with animation, live music and sound effects. Making sure we could support it technically in the best possible way, was necessary.

How was it working with the other Greek team?
It was a great pleasure and an honor to work with everyone on the Perseus team, both Greek and international artists. The creative team and collaborators of our ensemble consist of an exceptional group of inspired working professionals and highly gifted artists, who are all accomplished in their fields. In our Arts Organization, IthakArts, we approach the process of creation as a journey. Exchanging ideas and collaborating from the stage of brainstorming to the final result, has been a wonderful experience. I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone for the amazing work put in the project and the great art that everyone has created. Starting with ithakArts Founding Director, dramaturg, writer, translator, producer, and excellent artistic collaborator, Anna Krajewska-Wieczorek, an internationally known theatre artist and scholar of Greek drama; Inspiring musicians Ioannis Markoulakis and Emir Isilay, for composing and performing the beautifully haunting music and creating the sound design and the outstanding musical soundscape of the performance. Award winning animator, Masha Vasilkovsky, for creating the amazing and stunning animation. Dimitris Bogiantzis, an expert in his field, for designing the dynamic lighting and the striking and beautiful colors of the show. Distinguished makeup artist Sherilyn Stetz, for designing our impressive make-up. Artist Smaragda Kafetzi, for the magnificent and effective costumes. Fine designer Melissanthi Salibla for the wonderful media arts and design. Assistant to director Levan Matcharashvili, for his dedication and work; Technical director, Alex Cohen and the rest of the technical crew at the Strub theatre, Jason Sheppard, John Garofalo and Ivy Flores, for their hard work. I would also like to credit our wonderful collaborator, artist Alexis Demetriades who designed the logo of our organization. Last but not least, the great performers, who embodied the spirit of Perseus’ myth, Timothy Geracoulis, Julien Heron, Chryssie Kritsotaki, Emmalinda McLean, Gabriela Villagra and Marianna Vouga.

How important do you think it is bringing theatrical plays to Hollywood based in Greek Mythology?
Greek, as well as world mythology has endured the test of time. Myths are timeless and contain universal truths that are relevant to any time and place. They constitute a vital part of our cultural heritage and while still being alive, they continue to intrigue, attract and fascinate us. They represent a culture’s shared unconscious and values, while containing wisdom inherited to us from generation to generation. Through the symbolisms, allegorical concepts and metaphors of these communal tales, we can better understand our cultures and ourselves, while finding ways to express ourselves, communicate and connect to each other. Hollywood revisits Greek mythology through movies all the time. These enlightening stories provide the ideal grounds for addressing contemporary issues, promoting profoundly humanitarian ideals and connecting tradition and history with contemporary perspectives. Through the shared emotion and cathartic experience that live theatre can provide, these myths can be equally strong and even more effective, while at the same time, stimulating the sensory and imagination. Bringing mythology to life through the medium of theatre can be beneficial, educative, and a great way to address what concerns us today, while still discover things about ourselves, our history and our cultures.

What was people’s reaction after they saw the performance at the Strub Theatre?
People’s reaction was really positive and very enthusiastic. Many people were pleasantly surprised because they had a preconceived idea about the genre and were expecting to see a play; while experiencing all the different elements composing the performance, some people called it performance art; others called it a music drama…The general comment that we heard over and over again, is that it was unique and original. We also heard from many people that it was a complete and meditative experience. I like to surprise people and take them for a trip to the unexpected, so I am taking it as a compliment!

What are your future plans?
We are planning a full run of Perseus in Los Angeles, as well as a North American and European tour of the show. Additionally, we are developing a number of equally interesting projects. For more information please visit our website www.ithakarts.com. Stay tuned!

 

Photo Credits

Face photo by Minouche Jauffre

show photos by Levan Matcharashvili.