Hippolitus

The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) in collaboration with the Famagusta Walled City Association (MASDER) presents the tragedy by Euripides Hippolytus at the Ancient Theatre of Salamis on Friday 11th September 2015, at 21.00

The performance is surtitled in Turkish and in English.

The performance is under the auspices of the Bi-communal Technical Committee on Culture.

ABOUT THE PLAY
Hippolytus, the son of Theseus and Amazon Hippolyta, is a devoted follower of Artemis. He loathes love and refuses to revere goddess Aphrodite. Thus, in order to punish him, Aphrodite inspires Phaedra, Hippolytus’ stepmother, to fall in love with him. In an attempt to help her, her Nurse reveals her secret to Hippolytus, after making him swear an oath that he will not tell anyone else. Hippolytus leaves, rebuking and insulting women. Trying to preserve her dignity, Phaedra accuses Hippolytus of raping her. Blinded by rage, Theseus curses his son who eventually meets his fate.

Hippolytus was produced in 428BC. A few years earlier Euripides had staged a play with the same subject but received negative criticism. Thus, the dramatist revisits the myth, rewrites the play and wins the first prize – he won three more. The Athenian audience is shocked by the political events, just as we are today. What exactly does a play about a ‘forbidden’ love tell us? Yet, the play is not just about that…

The Peloponnesian War began three years before the production of the play. Since nobody could predict its outcome, people were depressed just like today. In this play, Euripides dares to debunk the value system of his time. Since social institutions and values are today questioned, contemporary man is disappointed and follows an antiheroic road full of passions and loneliness that often leads him to ruin. Who is Hippolytus? A young man who denies the heritage of the previous generation? Does he represent the deceived youth of our era? Or is he the young man who loathes politics or love?

Translation: Fotis Fotiou
Adaptation: Neoklis Neokleous, Fotis Fotiou
Direction: Neoklis Neokleous
Set-Costume Design: Harris Kafkarides, Melita Couta
Music: Neoklis Neofytides
Songs Instruction: Christina Argyri
Choreography: Fotis Nikolaou
Movement: Neoklis Neokleous, Fotis Nikolaou
Lighting Design: Stavros Tartaris
Assistant to the Director: Fotis Fotiou
Assistant to the Set-Costume Designers: Eleni Ioannou

Cast (in order of appearance):
Kristie Papadopoulou (Aphrodite)
Andreas Papamichalopoulos (Hippolytus)
Demetris Antoniou (Therapon)
Anna Yiagiozi (Nurse)
Niovi Charalambous (Phaedra)
Giorgos Kyriakou (Theseus)
Demetris Antoniou, Panayiotis Larkou, Irodotos Miltiadous,
Andreas Makris (Messenger)
Marina Mandri (Artemis)

Female Chorus: Andri Angelidou, Nayia Anastasiadou, Anna Yiagiozi,
Marina Mandri, Kristie Papadopoulou, Kynthia Pavlidou,
Antonia Charalambous, Niovi Charalambous

Male Chorus: Demetris Antoniou, Panayiotis Larkou, Irodotos Miltiadous, Andreas Makris

For information: THOC 77772717, MASDER 0533 8763118