Marine Week
In celebration of 'Marine Week', we have been enjoying performances, both theatrical and musical, on the beach. 'Marine Week' started on June 30th and continues on through tonite, June 6th. I went to an open-air performance on Friday night of ‘The Imaginary Invalid', Le Malade Imaginaire, by Moliere. The theatrical performance took place on the out-door theatre stage of Batis, in Paleo Faliro. The theatrical group was called ‘Thimeli' and the play was directed by Elli Bozikiathou. Although a bit exaggerated, the actors performed very well. The protagonist gave a great performance!
Tonight we will enjoy the play by Nikolai Gogol, called ‘Diary of a Madman'. It was written in 1835 and is considered to be one of Gogol's greatest short stories. The tale centers on the life of a minor civil servant during the repressive era of Nicholas I in Russia. Following the format of a diary, the story shows the digression of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity. It is the only one of Gogol's works written in first person, as the story follows diary entry format. It is only in his madness that the lowly anti-hero attains greatness in life. The story satirizes the rampant petty officialdom of the bureaucracy in the 1840s in St. Petersburg, and has been interpreted by some as going beyond this to being an allegory about the political state of Russia at the time, revealing Gogol's view of the government from the standpoint of a lowly citizen. The story also portrays the average man's quest for individuality in a seemingly indifferent, urban city. Tonight's play will be performed by the theatrical group 'Modern Theater' and directed by George Messala, a Greek actor and director.
The performances start between 9.00 - 9.30 p.m. and have no entrance fee. The theatrical stage of Batis is on the beach and we breathe the fresh sea air as we watch the actors perform! It is located at Batis Beach, in Paleo Faliro and can be reached by tram, line Syntagma-SEF, Batis stop.
To celebrate ‘Marine Week', the Cultural Center ‘Flisvos' had its Grand Opening on June 26th and has an exhibition of old marine maps and other marine material on display, from the Marine Museum of Greece. The ‘Flisvos' Cultural Center is a couple blocks down from the Flisvo tram stop, line Syntagma-SEF. It is open from 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m. daily.