Elli Papakonstantinou: Biography
Theater director, founder & artistic director of Art
Centre
“VYRSODEPSEIO”, co-founder & artistic director of company
“ODC ENSEMBLE”
Elli Papakonstantinou is a Greek theatre director (born in Athens, in 1973).
After studying at the Greek National School of Arts (1992 – 1996), she
moved in the UK in order to continue her studies on playwriting and
directing (credited an MA at the Royal Holloway, University of London,
1997). She spent many years in London (working at The Royal Court,
The Edinburgh Festival and the West End) then back to Athens then Berlin.
The recent economic crisis brought her back to Greece.
Her work is ruled by three persisting principles:
a) Structuring her narratives in a dense, multi-layered
way that addresses all senses and creates an effect
of “open lens” perception for the audience.
b) Creating hybrid work incorporating live music and
visual arts. Critic characterized her as a
“contemporary Brügel painter that combines beauty
with blasphemy”.
c) Questioning traditional expectations of audience
participation and exploring audience as an active
entity.
d) Political engagement
In year 2011 Elli Papakonstantinou returned in Athens where she founded
the Art Centre “VYRSODEPSEIO”, an independent space for the Arts and
an independent network of artists and activists. “VYRSODEPSEIO” is an
experiment on “how to produce art in the times of crisis”. It is a platform for
avant-garde art and of international networking. (Full-member of the Trans
Europe Halle Network and of the IETM).
In 2001 she founded the artistic company “ODC Ensemble”.
As a f re e lan ce director she collaborated with the National Theatre of
Greece, the Royal Court theatre, London, the LaMaMa, New York, the
Onassis Foundation (SGT), the National Theatre of Cyprus, the
International Institute of Theatre, iTi., The Hellenic Festival of Athens, the
Princeton University, etc. Her work has been presented
at
several
international festivals including the Edinburgh Festival, the XIV
International Meeting of Ancient Drama, European Cultural Centre of Delphi,
the International Festival of Experimental Theatre in Cairo, the Inauguration
Ceremony of the Biblioteca Alexandrina, the 1st International Theatre
Festival of Iraq etc.
She has also collaborated with playwrights of the Royal Court Sarah Kane
and Tammantha Hammershlag for the development of new plays. As
assistant director she has collaborated with director Mathias Langhoff for
performances at Epidavros and the Colosseum (Rome) and with film
director Jonathan Nossiter.
She has been invited to teach at the University of Princeton (as a fellow
reader at the Music & Advanced Media Lab), at the University of London
(Royal Holloway, Drama Department), the Department of Theater Studies
of the University of Peloponnesus and the Summer Academy of the
National Theatre of Greece.
She has been awarded with a “Fulbright Artist’s Award 2004-2005” for her
overall artistic work and with a «Stanley J. Seeger Visiting Fellowship» at
the Music & Advanced Media Lab of the Princeton University.
Finally, she has been awarded with a “1st Prize Edinburgh Festival 1997”.
She has directed for the theatre:
Le femme et le poup, E. Penga, Panta Theatre,
Caen, France, May 2014
Richard II, Shakespeare, Vyrsodepseio, Athens, Jan. 2014- July 2014
Touching the bottom, by D.Dimitriadis, SGT, Onassis Foundation,
Athens, Oct. 2013
Skin, installation performance on politics and Leviathan,
VYRSODEPSEIO, First run:
Dec. 2012 – Feb. 2013,
Second run: April 2013 – June
Woyzeck Quartet, based on G.Buchner’s, with a cast of German and
Greek actors, The Hellenic Festival of Athens, July 2012
Ma vie De Chandelles, by Fabrice Melquiot, M.Kakoyiannis
Foundation, Athens, March 2012, prod. French Institute and “Low Budget
Festival”
Winter’s Tale, W. Shakespeare, National Theatre of Cyprus, October
2011
META, a performance on catastrophe, site-specific, Vursodepsio,
Athens, July 2011- November 2011
1st International Theatre Festival of Kurdistan, Iraq,
September 2011
The Outcry by Tenessee Williams, the National Theatre of Patras,
Greece, 2010.
Sous l’oiel d’ Oedipe, by Joel Jouanneau International Institute of
Theatre, iTi, April 2010, Forum for Contemporary Dramaturgy, 2010.
Viciousness in the kitchen, site-specific performance based on
the radio play Three women by Sylvia Plath, “Sunergeio Theatre”
(10/4/2010-10/5/2010). The performance was repeated in Patra at
“Lithografeio” theatre, in Athens “VYRSODEPSEIO” theatre November 2010
and ‘X Dream Festival’, Cyprus.
From Α to Ω. Musical performance with singers Tania Tsanaklidou
and Blaine Reininger
of the infamous ‘Tuxedomoon” and others, “Gyalino Mousiko Theatre”
(10/2/2010-30/5/2010) and big scale tour in Greece.
The Country, by M. Crimp. Theatre Kappa. (8/12/2009- 3/4/2010)
ODC (Homer’s Odyssey) a physical challenge to narrate
musically the Odyssey. Presented at “XIV International Meeting of Ancient
Drama, European Cultural Centre of Delphi”, (7/7/2009), “Homereia”, Xios
(7/8/2009), “Αeschyleia”, Eleusina (7/9/2009), “International Festival of
Experimental Theatre in Cairo”, “Alekton theatre”, etc.
The sound of gun, by L. Anagnostaki, “Theatre 104, Athens”
(10/2/2008-20/4/2008)
Lettre aux jeunes acteurs, by O. Py, International Institute of
Theatre, iTi, Forum for Contemporary Dramaturgy, 2008
A night of secrets by A. Dimou, “The National Theatre of
Greece”, Athens (24/12/2007-24/12/2008)
Faith by K. Robin, Theatre Emporikon, Athens (20/10/200510/4/2006)
The Mysterious Mr. Love by C. Leich, “Theatre Ilisia Volanikis”,
Athens (7/3/2004-7/2/2005) and “Theatre Kalamarias”, Thessaloniki
(30/2/2005-30/3/2006)
They’re playing our song, by N. Simon. Theatre «ΙlisiaVolanakis» (10/2/2005-15/3/2006). Theatre «Egnatia» (20/3/2006 20/4/2006)
Destiny by A. Dimou, “Theatre Technis”, Athens (1/12/2004- 6/2/
2005) and “Theatre Neou Kosmou” (10/10/2005-10/12/2005)
Streams of Voices, National Theatre of Greece, 4th Summer
Academy (29/6/2003).
The iron by R. Munro, “Aplo Theatre”, Athens (23/1/2003-15/5/2004)
ODC…After Homer, based on Homer’s Odyssey, prod. By the
Greek Ministry of Culture and the Arts Council, U.K. Performed at:
Opera of Cairo (7/5/2002 &
8/5/2002)
«Edinburgh Festival 2002», C Venue (31/7/2002-25/8/2002
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Inauguration Ceremony, (22/10/2002 &
23/10/2002) Princeton University (6/4/2003)
Chashama Theatre, N. York, Broadway Avenue (15/4/2003-25/4/2003)
The Decameron of Women by J. Vosnezeskaya, “Theatre IVI”,
Athens (9/11/200010/5/2001)
The Suppliants after Aeschylus after Kossovo by T.
Hammershlag (The Lion King Theater, “Edinburgh Festival 1999”, THE
GILDED BALLOON (31/7/1999-25/8/1999). Produced by “The Arts Council”
Ajax by Sophocles, Jermyn Street Theater, West End, London
(4/5/1998-16/6/1998)
Nine Lives, Ten Tales by L. Warren, BAC Theater, London
(7/3/1998–5/4/1998 and
“Edinburgh Festival 1997” (10/8/1997-30/8/1997)
She directed for the TV:
The Pshychosavvato by Gr. Xenopoulo. Prod. ΝΕΤ. (2008)
As assistant director:
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, dir. Vassilis Papavasiliou, National
Theatre of Greece, Epidavros Festival 2000, Sophocles Festival 2000, The
Coliseum, Rome, New York and U.S.A. tour, etc.
The Bacchae by Euripides, dir. Matthias Langhoff. Epidavros
Festival 1997, National
Theatre of Northern Greece, etc.
Signs & Wonders, feature film, prod: MK2. dir. Jonathan Nossiter.
She has taught directing and acting:
At the Department of Theater Studies of the University of
Peloponnesus (2007-2008)
The University of London (Royal Holloway)
The Summer Academy of the National Theatre of Greece 2003
Invited at the University of Princeton as a fellow at the Music &
Advanced Media Lab
(2007)
Variant drama schools in Greece, such as “Iasmos”, “Central
School”, “Theatre of
Changes” etc.
She has translated:
The actor and the target, by Decklan Donnelan, for publishing
company “Nepheli”
(Expected).
The Outcry by Tenessee Williams, to be presented at the National
Theatre of Patras in
2010.
She has been awarded with:
“Fullbright Artist’s Award 2004-2005” for her collaboration
with the Music & Advanced Media Lab of the Princeton University
«Stanley J. Seeger Visiting Fellowhip», Princeton University
1st Prize of the Edinburgh Festival 1997
Her work has been presented in many Festivals/auditoriums around the
world, such as:
THE HELLENIC FESTIVAL, ATHENS, 2012
INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL OF KURDISTAN, IRAQ,
2012
BIBLIOTECA ALEXANDRINA, INAUGURATION CEREMONY
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2002
LAMAMA THEATRE, NY, U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF ANCIENT DRAMA, EUROPEAN
CULTURAL CENTRE OF DELPHI
THE PRINCETON UNIVERISTY
THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF GREECE
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE,
CAIRO, EGYPT
X-DREAM FESTIVAL, CYPRUS, 2012
THE OPERA HOUSE, CAIRO, EGYPT
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 1997