Advertisement
Wednesday, 17 March 2010



Greece: Ancient Epidaurus Amphitheatre Hosts Theatre Performances All Summer



BalkanTravellers.com   

3 July 2009 | Starting today, the ancient amphitheatre of Epidaurus begins its summer programme of theatre performances every weekend, to the delight of Greeks and foreign visitors.


Although many of the plays are either in Greek or in a foreign language with Greek subtitles, every year thousands of foreigners attend performances in the amphitheatre known for its exceptional acoustics.

The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is situated within the archaeological site of the Sanctuary of Asklepios, in the Argolis prefecture of the Peloponnese. It is a half-hour drive from Nafplio and approximately two hours from Athens.

Built in the fourth century BC by Polykleitos the Younger, the venue’s original 34 rows were extended by another 21 rows in Roman times. Now it sits 15,000 people, which makes last-minute purchasing of tickets possible.

Starting today until August 22, nearly a dozen plays will be performed at the Epidaurus amphitheatre every weekend. Tonight’s opening performance is The Clouds by Aristophanes, presented by the Cyprus Theater Organization.

In the coming weeks, the ancients will be represented with new production of Euripides’ Trojan Woman and Alcestis, Aeschylus’ Persians and Aristophanes’ Birds. Other highlights include a Sam Mendes-directed Winter’s Tale, Racine’s Phedre, starring Helen Mirren, and Amos Gitai’s The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, based on Flavius Josephus’ The Jewish War.

Some weekends, a parallel programme at the nearby the Little Epidaurus Theater, which seats around 5,000 spectators, is also planned.

For directions on how to get there, the full programme of performances for July and August and information on purchasing tickets, visit www.greekfestival.gr.

Read more about Greece on BalkanTravellers.com
Use BalkanTravellers.com's
tips to organize your trip to Greece
 

Epicure


Balkans
Balkan Culinary Wars III: Other People’s Meatballs

Ćevapčići from Leskovac, köfte from İzmir or Bulgarian kebapche? Greek keftedes too, please!
Full Story



Curiosity Chest


Balkans
The Red and White Strings that Welcome Spring in Bulgaria and Romania

I remember walking along Canal Street in New York’s Chinatown on March 2 a few years ago, when I saw a man sporting a small ornament made of red and white thread pinned to his coat lapel. He must be Bulgarian, I thought to myself with a sudden rush of homesickness, but now realize that he may have been Romanian as well.
Full Story



Useful Reads


Balkans
Through Another Europe (2009) | Edited by Andrew Hammond

When Henry Blount journeyed through Bosnia in the 1630s, two things struck him: the purity of the water and the great height of the Bosnians, which, he noted, “made me suppose them the offspring of those old Germans noted by Tacitus and Caesar for their huge size.”
Full Story




Music


Romania
A Gang of Romanian Rebels

The Romanian group Taraf de Haïdouks is a mandatory introduction to the Roma culture on the Balkans. Full Story