the apology project

THE APOLOGY PROJECT
The Greek Theatre of New York proudly presents:
THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES
An international tour de force of Plato's timeless classic
The Apology of Socrates features a theatrical solo performance by the Emmy Award winner
Yannis Simonides, and is directed by Broadway and television veteran Loukas Skipitaris. Oscar
and Tony Award winner Theoni Vahliotes Aldredge is the costume designer, with percussive
support by Caryn Heilman, a Paul Taylor veteran dancer-musician. The performance is given
in English or Modern Greek using translations by Yannis Simonides and Loukas Skipitaris, but
can be presented in any country using an ingenious on-stage PowerPoint projection of the
famous text in the language of the particular audience. The Apology of Socrates has been
recently presented in Spanish in Montevideo, Uruguay and in French at the University of
Strasburg, while translations of the text in Turkish, German, Russian, Polish and Arabic are
currently being developed.
The Apology of Socrates premiered in New York in 2004 and has since been performed to
great acclaim at the United Nations, the Athens Ancient Agora, the NBC Today Show, and in
over 200 theatres, festivals, schools, universities and libraries across the US, Canada,
Uruguay, Greece, Cyprus, France, Luxembourg, Turkey, the United Emirates and the UK.
Leading universities including Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Michigan, Cambridge, Oxford,
Edinburgh have combined the performance with interactive seminars on Socratic ethics and
how they apply to our world today, led by Yannis Simonides.
THE PERFORMANCE
Take a seat in the court of ancient Athens as Socrates goes on trial for his life. Hear the
philosopher face his accusers with his trademark wit, cutting logic, and the courage of his
ideals. Consider his arguments on virtue, justice, politics, civic duty, love of life and hope in
death, and draw your own judgement. Enjoy the post-performance opportunity to discuss
with the actor the ramifications of your verdict.
Think. Question. Change.
The Apology of Socrates is a delightful and quite humorous dramatization of the famous
philosopher‟s defence and his rebuttals to a guilty verdict and sentence to death. In the
Apology, reported to us by Socrates‟ student, Plato, the wise man of Athens firmly defends
himself – rather than apologizing in the contemporary sense – against politically motivated
accusations of not believing in the gods of the state, and of corrupting the Athenian youth.
Yannis Simonides channels the eccentric yet magnetic personality of Socrates and offers a
profoundly social, political, but above all human work which captivates the audience with the
humor, immediacy and simplicity of its theatrical rendition.
"Restless, humorous, brilliant and fascinating."
Odyssey Magazine, New York
"A superhuman effort on the part of the actor in a
splendid coordination of text, movement and speech."
Luxembourger Wort, Luxembourg
RELEVANCE
The Apology is considered to be among the most diachronically valid texts of Hellenic
thought, and the principles in the Socratic discourse have had an indisputably decisive
influence on philosophy, politics and law in the Western World. Socrates‟ arguments
throughout his Apology address questions of ethics, justice, civic duty, personal virtue and
moral courage – ever burning issues and values that transport the viewer from ancient
times to our contemporary world, and in so doing reaffirm their relevance in the
interdependent cultures of the 21st century. Due to its multilayered nature, this rendition of
Plato‟s classic engages and captivates audiences with interests ranging from history,
philosophy, literature and the performing arts, to business, law, government, science,
religion and medicine. The questions raised are so profound and the strategies used for
tackling them so richly suggestive and provocative that they inevitably stimulate zealous
post-performance debates among audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
"Our audience was deeply moved by the performance and our
program of events was enhanced by arguably the best
performance it has ever hosted since its inauguration. Its appeal to
the audience fulfilled our mission, which is to focus, develop, and
sustain research, teaching, and public education on Hellenism, with
particular emphasis on the impact of ancient, medieval, and
modern Hellenic civilization on contemporary society."
Vassiliki Rapti, The Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, Lecturer in
Modern Greek Studies
"Yannis Simonides and Loukas Skipitaris gave us a sensitive
reading of Plato's text in this exciting performance. They managed
to turn the elusive Socratic character alive with immediacy, playful
irony, and the dramatic depth that make the Apology an
inexhaustible source of wisdom, as meaningful in our times as it was
in fourth century Athens."
Constance Tagopoulos, Professor of European Studies, Queens College, NY
At a time when Greece and a great part of the world is in profound social, political and
financial crisis, at a time when the very foundations of contemporary society are
challenged on a global level, Socrates‟ thought appears more pertinent and patently
applicable than ever. Beyond the potential of this project as an invaluable tool for Greece
toward purposes of cultural diplomacy, The Apology of Socrates offers a unique opportunity
for the audiences of the world to engage their demons fearlessly and creatively in a lifechanging yet highly entertaining theatrical exercise.
“We must be willing to live in a culture of questions, not one of ready answers. It‟s a
more courageous approach. And it takes more time. But it‟s worth it. It serves us
better in the long run as individuals and as a society, by giving us stronger
foundations for our lives and for our world. This is the way, and Socrates‟ way,
through which we‟ will ultimately achieve a „culture of rightness‟, of higher values;
of virtue.”
Yannis Simonides
WHO WE ARE
Yannis Simonides (Actor)
Born in Constantinople and raised in Athens, Yannis Simonides is a Yale
Drama School trained actor/writer and Emmy-winning documentary
producer. He has served as professor and chair of the NYU Tisch School
of the Arts Drama Department, as executive director of G.O.Telecom
Productions, and as the managing director of Hellenic Public Radio COSMOS FM in New York. He is the founder and director of the Greek
Theatre of New York, and of Mythic Media International, , a performing
arts lab. His performance work, past and ongoing, includes plays by Euripides, Sophocles,
Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Brecht, Kazantzakis, Theodorakis and others, along with solo and
ensemble pieces culled from the writings of C.P. Cavafy, General Makriyannis, Nikolai Gogol
and others. Yannis Simonides co-produced Mikis Theodorakis‟ 75th Birthday Celebration at
Lincoln Center with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and has narrated the PBS television
specials Axion Esti, Visions of Greece and Return to the Homeland. He recently composed
and directed 'Smyrne', a docudrama on the 1922 Asia Minor Catastrophe, which is
scheduled to tour North America in 2011-12. As a founding member of the literary
organization The Readers of Homer, he has helped stage marathon audience-participation
readings/celebrations of the Iliad and Odyssey in dozens of languages in Greece, Turkey,
USA, Egypt, Uruguay and beyond. Since 2004 he has performed the Apology of Socrates in
hundreads of theaters, universities and schools worldwide. He has received the support of the
American National Endowment for the Arts, The Greek Ministries of Culture and Foreign
Affairs, The A. S. Onassis, I. Kostopoulos, S. Niarchos, M. Tsakos and A.G. Leventis, IBM, Time
Warner and Mobil Foundations. In 2009, Yannis Simonides was declared Ambassador of
Hellenism by the city of Athens for his lifelong service to Greek arts and letters worldwide.
Loukas Skipitaris (director)
Loukas N. Skipitaris studied acting with some of New York's leading teachers and earned
a Masters in stage directing at Queens College NY. He made his Broadway acting debut in Ilya
Darling with Melina Merkouri, and subsequently appeared in the original Broadway production of
Zorba, directed by Harold Prince. Besides dozens of productions of Greek classics and plays by
Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, Ira Levin, he directed the world premiere of the
oratorio Erotocritos at Lincoln Center. He is the founder and director of The Acting Place as well
as Theatron, Inc., a non-profit Greek American performing arts center in NYC.
Theoni Vahliotes Aldredge (Costume Designer)
With over 150 stage productions, numerous ballets and several films to her credit, Theoni
Vahliotes Aldredge ranks as one of the most prolific and successful costume designers of the
20th Century. Born and raised in Greece, she trained at the Goodman Theatre School and
became a resident designer at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. With over 100
Broadway plays, feature films and television shows to her credit, Mrs. Aldredge was inducted
into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 1986 and has received one Oscar, three Tony Awards and
the British Society of Film and Television Arts Award. She is the recipient of the New York
City Liberty Medal and was honored with the Costume Guild Career Achievement Award. In
addition, the Theatre Development Fund has presented her with the Irene Sharaff Lifetime
Achievement Award for her work in Theatre, Film and Television.
Caryn Heilman (Percussion)
Caryn Heilman is a percussionist, vocalist and dancer with the World Music of Nana
ensemble, which blends musical elements from around the world. A specialist in frame
drums, she plays the daf, a Sufi drum from Kurdistan, and the tar. She has also founded her
own dance company, LiquidBody, and is co-founder of Topia Arts Center, a green arts and
education center in Adams, Massachusetts.
Stephania Xydia (Management)
Born in Greece and raised in Luxembourg, Stephania Xydia graduated with a first class
Bachelor in Arts from Cambridge University and moved on to an MA in Cultural Policy and
Management at City University, London. Fluent in five languages, she has extensive
experience as a freelance performing arts manager in Greece, Luxembourg, UK, Spain and
Uruguay, and specializes in Cultural Diplomacy projects.
GREEK THEATRE OF NEW YORK
The Greek Theatre of New York was founded in 1979, and it has since served Greek and
English speaking audiences with acclaimed productions, nationally and internationally. The
company has sought to approach the classical, medieval and contemporary Hellenic
repertory with discipline, delight and occasional irreverence. Over the years GTNY has
become known for its festivals of new plays, its solo and ensemble performances, its children
theatre tours and its imaginative staging of Greek oratorios. Ellen Stewart of LaMama has
praised it as one of her brightest children, and Melina Mercouri supported it as one of the
most accomplished theatres of the Greek Diaspora.
1. American Theatre Magazine, USA
2. Odyssey Magazine, USA
3. Gulf News, Dubai, UΑΕ (6-page feature review)
4.Pankoaki Newspaper, Kos, Greece
5.Peloponissos Newspaper, Patras, Greece
29/05/2006
Απολογία Σωκράτη στο Ηράκλειο
Μία εληππσζηαθή ζεαηξηθή παξάζηαζε ηεο Απνινγίαο ηνπ ΢σθξάηε ζηελ αγγιηθή γιώζζα είραλ
ηελ επθαηξία λα παξαθνινπζήζνπλ νη ζύλεδξνη ηνπ 1νπ Παγθόζκηνπ Φηινζνθηθνύ ΢πλεδξίνπ αιιά
θαη θάζε ελδηαθεξόκελνο.
Ο εζνπνηόο Γηάλλεο ΢ηκσλίδεο, πνπ δεη ζαξάληα ρξόληα ζηε Νέα
Τόξθε, ν ζθελνζέηεο Λνπθάο ΢θηπεηάξεο θαη ε Θεώλε Βαριηώηε Οιληξηηδ πνπ επηκειήζεθε ηα θνζηνύκηα παξνπζίαζαλ έλα πςεινύ
επηπέδνπ ζεαηξηθό απνηέιεζκα, πνπ θξάηεζε θαζεισκέλνπο ηνπο
ζεαηέο.
Η κνπζηθή ηνπ έξγνπ είλαη ηεο Caryn Heilman θαη ε παξαγσγή
ησλ Theatron Α.Δ. θαη Mythic Media.
Ο Γηάλλεο ΢ηκσλίδεο ζην ξόιν ηνπ
΢σθξάηε
Ο Γηάλλεο ΢ηκσλίδεο γελλήζεθε ζηελ Κσλζηαληηλνύπνιε θαη
κεγάισζε ζηελ Αζήλα. Απνθνίηεζε από ηε Γξακαηηθή ΢ρνιή ηνπ
Παλεπηζηεκίνπ ηνπ Γέηι, όπνπ ζπνύδαζε εζνπνηία θαη ζελαξηνγξαθία, έρεη ηηκεζεί κε βξαβείν
Emmy από ηελ Ακεξηθαληθή Αθαδεκία Σειενπηηθώλ Σερλώλ θαη Δπηζηεκώλ.
Δρεη δηαηειέζεη θαζεγεηήο θαη πξόεδξνο ηνπ Σκήκαηνο Θεαηξνινγίαο ζηε ΢ρνιή Tisch ηνπ
Παλεπηζηεκίνπ ηεο Νέαο Τόξθεο, είλαη παξάιιεια εθηειεζηηθόο παξαγσγόο ησλ Διιελνξζόδνμσλ
Σειεπηθνηλσληώλ θαη εθηειεζηηθόο δηεπζπληήο ηεο Διιεληθήο Γεκόζηαο Ραδηνθσλίαο - cosmos-fm
ζηε Νέα Τόξθε. Δίλαη ηδξπηήο θαη δηεπζπληήο ηνπ Διιεληθνύ Θεάηξνπ Νέαο Τόξθεο θαη ελόο
εξγαζηεξίνπ Γξακαηηθώλ Σερλώλ ηεο «Mythic Media International». Δρεη αλεβάζεη πνιιέο
παξαζηάζεηο έξγσλ ησλ Δπξηπίδε, ΢νθνθιή, Αξηζηνθάλε, ΢έμπηξ, Μπξερη, Κνξξέ, Κακπαλέιιε
θ.ιπ.
Ο Λνπθάο Ν. ΢θηπεηάξεο, κεηαλαζηεύνληαο ζηηο ΗΠΑ, ζπνύδαζε εζνπνηία θνληά ζε θνξπθαίνπο
δαζθάινπο ηεο Νέαο Τόξθεο θαη απνθνίηεζε από ην Παλεπηζηήκν Hunter κε κάζηεξ ζθελνζεζίαο.
Δρεη αλεβάζεη σο ζθελνζέηεο έξγα αξραίσλ θιαζηθώλ θαη ζύγρξνλσλ κεγάισλ ζπγγξαθέσλ.
Τπήξμε ζθελνζέηεο ηεο παγθόζκηαο πξεκηέξαο ηνπ νξαηόξηνπ «Δξσηόθξηηνο» ζην Alice Tully Hall
ηνπ Lincoln Center θ.ιπ.
Eleftherotypia Newspaper, Athens, Greece
Dimokratiki Newspaper, Chios, Greece
6. Luxemburger Wort Newspaper, Luxembourg
7. Guía del Ocio Magazine, Montevideo, Uruguay
In 2011 The Apology of Socrates will be touring the world, with
performances taking place in Europe, the USA, Canada, Latin
America, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
For further information and bookings:
Stephania Xydia
Cultural Manager
UK: 0044 7522515431
GR: 0030 6934438748
stephania.xydia@gmail.com