Elli Papakonstantinou’s The Bacchae is an original reading of Euripides’ tragedy, weaving ancient myth and research on gender fluidity together and making full use of new media, dance and sound, and mystical experiences. The dramatist immerses herself in the nebulous world of desire and mythical atrocities in order to speak out about a post-apocalyptic world in the face of an upcoming, ever-approaching catastrophe.
Wealthy members of the upper middle class and their servant, in circumstances similar to those in Lars von Trier’s film Melancholia, are waiting any minute now for a meteorite to hit the Earth; a meteorite named “Dionysus” by the scientists. Dionysus arrives in person and guides the heroes to the Room of Desire. There is no other room more terrifying than that. To reach it, they must traverse a mysterious energy field, overcoming the fear of revelation, fall, contamination, decay, hubris and shame. The god Dionysus will not take refusal, postponement, contempt for an answer. He will execute his mission at all costs. A seismograph records every vibration shaking the house on a paper roll that ceaselessly unfolds on stage; a gigantic oscilloscope of the world. The play is built upon speech, music and a dance narrative, investigating a queer performing language, one that is pop yet contains classic operatic outbursts, at once dance-based, mystical and subtle. The Venezuelan alchemist of sounds Ariah Lester and the imaginative choreography of the French duo of Christophe Béranger and Jonathan Pranlas Descours also contributed to the creation of this multilingual play, with English, French, Spanish and Greek all heard on stage.
The Athens Epidaurus Festival performance is part of the European tour of this production, following its premiere at La Filature, Scène nationale de Mulhouse in France in March 2023.
Concept – Directing Elli Papakonstantinou
Text Chloe Tzia Kollyri, Elli Papakonstantinou
Choreography SINE QUA NON ART / Christophe Béranger & Jonathan Pranlas-Descours
Musical composition Ariah Lester
Electroacoustic compositions – Interactive sound design installation – Technical coordination Lambros Pigounis
Set design Maria Panourgia
Video art – Live video performance Pantelis Makkas
Costume design Ioanna Tsami
Lighting design Marietta Pavlaki
Seismograph designed by Yiannis Kranidiotis
Assistant to the director Spyros Sourvinos
Texts co-edited by Louisa Arkoumanea
Dramaturgy collaboration Ariah Lester, Charis Kalaitzidis
Photos Alex Kat
Trailer Sideris Nanoudis
Tour production manager Laurent Langlois
ODC office manager Gina Zorba
Second assistant to the director Katerina Christakaki
Third assistant to the director Katerina Savvoglou
Assistant to the set designer Sofia Theodoraki
Assistant to the video artist Anthi Paraskeva-Veloudogianni
Cast Vassilis Boutsikos, Georgios Iatrou, Chara Kotsali, Ariah Lester, Lito Messini, Aris Papadopoulos
Production ODC Ensemble
Co-production La Filature, Scène Nationale Mulhouse (FR), Holland Festival (NL), Festival de Marseille (FR), La Strada Graz Festival (AT), Romaeuropa Festival (IT), Teatro Nazionale di Genova (IT), Athens Epidaurus Festival
Residency Espace des Arts, Scène Nationale Chalon-Sur-Saône (FR)
Funded by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports