The performance begins with the story of Marika, a woman who lived in the Greek provinces from the 1930s to the early 21st century. The focus is on her youthful years—which coincided with the Civil War period—and her secret encounters with her great love, who was a rebel in the surrounding mountains. This was followed by an arranged marriage to cleanse the “shame.” The life of this unknown woman marks the beginning of the story of the performance. Research was conducted, interviews were held, and personal testimonies of women from different cities in Greece with various social backgrounds were recorded. The audio documents from Marika’s story form the backbone of the performance, which aims to highlight the material from the interviews. Based on these testimonies, the performance narrates stories of women who mostly lived in violent, unhealthy, and toxic environments. Through their narratives, humor, personal uplifts, sensitivity, and self-deprecation, the individual and collective female experience is portrayed. The intermittent use of literary references, music, and video enhances the scenic narrative.
Contributors Concept: Katerina Adamara Text: Katerina Adamara, Yolika Poulopoulou, Katerina Toukmenidou, Valia Tsirigoti Dramaturgy: Katerina Toukmenidou Director: Katerina Adamara, Yolika Poulopoulou Set and Costume Design: Eugenia Grammenou Lighting: Ioanna Zerva Music: Stella Grigkovits (teaching & supervision) Musical Composition: Stella Tempreli (Original) Performers: Ioanna Zerva, Mary Logetheti, Areti Makroleivaditi, Anna Margaritidou, Maria Eleni Papatriantafyllou
May, June 2024, ELER Theater, Athens.
Publications: Μαρίκα, ένα όνομα ακόμη στην έμφυλη βία
