Excellent choice! Vangelis Theodoropoulos has been appointed to be the new director of Athens & Epidaurus Festival after Belgian Jan Fabre resigned amid a storm of angry reactions by Greeks due to his decision to ban Greek artists form the Festival and promote his own works and the “Belgian Spirit.”
Director Vangelis Theodoropoulos has been appointed artistic director of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival on Monday.
Born in Athens in 1953, Theodoropoulos worked as an actor until establishing the Neos Kosmos Theater in 1997.
The veteran director faces the daunting task of putting together a program on a tight budget and limited time frame before the start of Greece’s most prestigious festival which traditionally kicks off late May.
Jan Fabre resigned on Saturday from Curator’s position citing a “hostile artistic environment” for his decision. Greek artists had earlier protested to his announcement that this year’s event would focus almost exclusively on Belgian works.
Vangelis Theodoroupolos is also known to be a modest and serious guy.
I admit, I don’t know much about his other works, but I watched director Theodoropoulos’ work “Troades” performed by the National Theater of Albania, a couple of years ago. It was breathtaking!
The Culture Minister should have appointed Theodoropoulos from the very beginning.
The Ministry still owes an explanation about choosing Jan Fabre for this position, but you know, the mysteries of the Greek Culture Ministry remain …dark.
A friend was telling me the other day, that Jan Fabre had two performance in Athens Music Hall in 2012 and that the performances were funded by an anonymous Greek art collector in Antwerp as the Megaron could not afford to pay.
PS Who needs Mount Olympus performances full with Zorbas and other Greek cliches?
