Athens became the capital of modern Greece in 1834, and two years later the first open theater was established to offer entertainment to a limited audience that was familiar with European style shows.
Soon, with the development of an urban class and the consequent Europeanization, many theaters are established and performances of every kind are given at impressive buildings that are constructed in the center of the city. As such, the twentieth century finds in Athens a well planned theatrical district that is located between the city’s two main squares, Omonoia and Constitution, and their connecting avenues, in contrast with the nineteenth century tradition which cultivated summer shows in neighborhoods and other areas with lush plants (gardens, groves), away from the city.
The first attempts of theatrical decentralization are observed immediately after the Second World War and the Civil War that followed and are seen in 1949, when the first district theater is established in a lower class area of Athens, Kallithea. Works of new playwrights are shown that present a different form of aesthetics and ideology, different from those that dominated the period, addressed to a different audience composed by intellectuals, artists, members of the left wing parties. The initiator of this theater was Andreas Lemos, whose example was followed in the sixties by Yorgos Michaelidis, the creator of the Nea Ionia theater in the homonymous lower class suburb of Athens. The foundation of many other theaters follows in decentralized areas, such as Kaisariani, Zografou, Ilisia, Gyzi. With these theaters, the left wing’s dream for theaters addressed to wider masses of people is materialized and the effort of theatrical decentralization is realized. For economic reasons, however, immediately associated with social and ideological reasons, this period’s “pioneering” theater gradually fades, and theaters either close down, or are modified, or follow a solitary path within the framework of the theatrical activity of Athens.
The great change in the theatrical mapping of Athens is observed in the eighties, when theaters move away from the traditional center to its parameters, and more specifically to popular archaeological and cultural areas, which, unfortunately, were then very much underestimated. These are areas, not far from the center of Athens, such as Theseion, Monastiraki, Metaxourgeio, Exarcheia, which many times present the trivial side of daily life, with 19th century deserted and run down houses, occupied nowadays by aliens and economic immigrants. In these areas, there were also industrial and manufacturing plants (print shops, machine and metal workshops, merchandise storage spaces), which had been deserted because of the technological changes and progress. During this period, under an environmental government plan which also aimed at the redevelopment of certain urban areas, and taking advantage of the offered low rate loans, specifically designed for restoration and other civic reforms, chances were presented for cultural decentralization.
Members of the theater business, directors, and people affiliated with theater, seize the opportunity to own an inexpensive theatrical site that could accommodate the creation of a theater which could include one and many times two stages. Many theaters move en masse and new ones are established, creating thus a new theatrical and cultural center in the city, which operated in parallel manner with the traditional.
As such, we can claim that today in Athens there three kinds of theater stages:
i. the traditional theater stages,
ii. the new cultural center stages, and
iii. the local and decentralized theaters.
i. These group places correspond in general with different forms of dramaturgy as by nature are addressed to different social audiences, in such a way that this theatrical mapping turns into a criterion of the theatrical performance, definition of the audience’s outlook, and understanding of the mechanisms of the theatrical reception.
In the first category belong the official federal theaters and major stages of the city center, which, even though they do not present the size or the glamour of similar European stages, as original 19th century theatrical buildings have been demolished, they possess the traits of a theater. The air of the social activities and their impressive decoration reveal that are addressed to a specific audience that considers that going to theater is a social event, which emphasizes the aesthetics of the place as well as the social milieu. This group of theaters are considered commercial and offer performances based on classical or modern plays, with stage design, costumes, lights, and music that are impressive. The actors are usually TV stars, immediately recognizable by the audience, who project on stage the image that the audience has formed for them from the TV.
ii. In the second category belong spaces which were not originally theaters but neoclassical buildings, factories, and storage places. In these theaters, minimalism prevails in terms of the space, sitting, and other pertinent matters aesthetics. They are small and provide a kind of atmosphere as well as an essence of familiarity between stage and audience. Many a times, there are two separate stages, two or more different spaces which present various artistic events. Their repertory is extremely modern and avant garde, Greek or foreign. These stages usually present on a permanent or a short-term basis the work of young directors, who have specific views on theater and art. Similarly, actors who emerge for the first time, artists, as well as new theatrical groups appear, and in a short period of time establish their fame in the audience’s consciousness, an audience composed by young individuals, students, artists, intellectuals, and in general people who do just look for entertainment only.
iii. In the third category are decentralized theaters and those of the urban periphery. Most of them were created in the sixties and seventies and strongly bear the stamp of the period of their creation. It is a period that the neighborhood and decentralized theater had a strong ideological character, evident in the repertory selection, the performance aesthetics, and in its general purpose. For this reason these theaters are between the two previous categories. Plays that are staged are usually of Greek playwrights with a social viewpoint or of foreign authors mainly of the classical repertory. Their performances are very meticulous, without the glamour of the commercial ones, or the avant garde outlook of the experimental theater. The artists involved in them are usually middle aged and represent the talented generation of the junta period (1967-1974), and who believe that theater has among other things an educational purpose. The audience of these theaters come from various classes, but in general they are middle aged people with a theatrical culture, familiar with all theater forms and categories.
This is the structure of the Athenian theater space. In these theatrical halls that are more than eighty in number, and more than two hundred performances are given during each theater season (October-May), the Athenian audience participates in the theatrical process and sets in motion modern Greece’s artistic expression and culture.
Soon, with the development of an urban class and the consequent Europeanization, many theaters are established and performances of every kind are given at impressive buildings that are constructed in the center of the city. As such, the twentieth century finds in Athens a well planned theatrical district that is located between the city’s two main squares, Omonoia and Constitution, and their connecting avenues, in contrast with the nineteenth century tradition which cultivated summer shows in neighborhoods and other areas with lush plants (gardens, groves), away from the city.
The first attempts of theatrical decentralization are observed immediately after the Second World War and the Civil War that followed and are seen in 1949, when the first district theater is established in a lower class area of Athens, Kallithea. Works of new playwrights are shown that present a different form of aesthetics and ideology, different from those that dominated the period, addressed to a different audience composed by intellectuals, artists, members of the left wing parties. The initiator of this theater was Andreas Lemos, whose example was followed in the sixties by Yorgos Michaelidis, the creator of the Nea Ionia theater in the homonymous lower class suburb of Athens. The foundation of many other theaters follows in decentralized areas, such as Kaisariani, Zografou, Ilisia, Gyzi. With these theaters, the left wing’s dream for theaters addressed to wider masses of people is materialized and the effort of theatrical decentralization is realized. For economic reasons, however, immediately associated with social and ideological reasons, this period’s “pioneering” theater gradually fades, and theaters either close down, or are modified, or follow a solitary path within the framework of the theatrical activity of Athens.
The great change in the theatrical mapping of Athens is observed in the eighties, when theaters move away from the traditional center to its parameters, and more specifically to popular archaeological and cultural areas, which, unfortunately, were then very much underestimated. These are areas, not far from the center of Athens, such as Theseion, Monastiraki, Metaxourgeio, Exarcheia, which many times present the trivial side of daily life, with 19th century deserted and run down houses, occupied nowadays by aliens and economic immigrants. In these areas, there were also industrial and manufacturing plants (print shops, machine and metal workshops, merchandise storage spaces), which had been deserted because of the technological changes and progress. During this period, under an environmental government plan which also aimed at the redevelopment of certain urban areas, and taking advantage of the offered low rate loans, specifically designed for restoration and other civic reforms, chances were presented for cultural decentralization.
Members of the theater business, directors, and people affiliated with theater, seize the opportunity to own an inexpensive theatrical site that could accommodate the creation of a theater which could include one and many times two stages. Many theaters move en masse and new ones are established, creating thus a new theatrical and cultural center in the city, which operated in parallel manner with the traditional.
As such, we can claim that today in Athens there three kinds of theater stages:
i. the traditional theater stages,
ii. the new cultural center stages, and
iii. the local and decentralized theaters.
i. These group places correspond in general with different forms of dramaturgy as by nature are addressed to different social audiences, in such a way that this theatrical mapping turns into a criterion of the theatrical performance, definition of the audience’s outlook, and understanding of the mechanisms of the theatrical reception.
In the first category belong the official federal theaters and major stages of the city center, which, even though they do not present the size or the glamour of similar European stages, as original 19th century theatrical buildings have been demolished, they possess the traits of a theater. The air of the social activities and their impressive decoration reveal that are addressed to a specific audience that considers that going to theater is a social event, which emphasizes the aesthetics of the place as well as the social milieu. This group of theaters are considered commercial and offer performances based on classical or modern plays, with stage design, costumes, lights, and music that are impressive. The actors are usually TV stars, immediately recognizable by the audience, who project on stage the image that the audience has formed for them from the TV.
ii. In the second category belong spaces which were not originally theaters but neoclassical buildings, factories, and storage places. In these theaters, minimalism prevails in terms of the space, sitting, and other pertinent matters aesthetics. They are small and provide a kind of atmosphere as well as an essence of familiarity between stage and audience. Many a times, there are two separate stages, two or more different spaces which present various artistic events. Their repertory is extremely modern and avant garde, Greek or foreign. These stages usually present on a permanent or a short-term basis the work of young directors, who have specific views on theater and art. Similarly, actors who emerge for the first time, artists, as well as new theatrical groups appear, and in a short period of time establish their fame in the audience’s consciousness, an audience composed by young individuals, students, artists, intellectuals, and in general people who do just look for entertainment only.
iii. In the third category are decentralized theaters and those of the urban periphery. Most of them were created in the sixties and seventies and strongly bear the stamp of the period of their creation. It is a period that the neighborhood and decentralized theater had a strong ideological character, evident in the repertory selection, the performance aesthetics, and in its general purpose. For this reason these theaters are between the two previous categories. Plays that are staged are usually of Greek playwrights with a social viewpoint or of foreign authors mainly of the classical repertory. Their performances are very meticulous, without the glamour of the commercial ones, or the avant garde outlook of the experimental theater. The artists involved in them are usually middle aged and represent the talented generation of the junta period (1967-1974), and who believe that theater has among other things an educational purpose. The audience of these theaters come from various classes, but in general they are middle aged people with a theatrical culture, familiar with all theater forms and categories.
This is the structure of the Athenian theater space. In these theatrical halls that are more than eighty in number, and more than two hundred performances are given during each theater season (October-May), the Athenian audience participates in the theatrical process and sets in motion modern Greece’s artistic expression and culture.
