3rd International Meeting of University Theatre

The events of the 3rd International Meeting of University Theatre in Olympia took place from the 17th until the 24th of August 2003. In the Meeting participated 22 Greek and foreign theatre groups from 16 countries, that gave a total of 24 performances at Drouva Forest Theatre in Ancient Olympia, which was the main place where the events took place, as well as in several other areas of the region of Ilia, like the Hlemoutsi Castle, the Ancient Lepreo Citadel, the Marahtias Forest Theatre in Amaliada, Vartholomio, Vasilaki, the Kavasila Open Theatre and Tragano.

Especially the theatrical plays of the 3rd International Meeting were characterised by their wealth of subjects and their high quality, and impressed the audience, Greek and foreign who were coming everyday at the Drouva Theatre and the rest places.

For the organisation of the 3rd International Meeting of University Theatre in Olympia were responsible the municipality of Ancient Olympia, the prefecture of Ilia and the group of creators Youth Plan (Neaniko Plano) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, whereas the regional events were made with the cooperation of the other municipalities and the local societies.

Companies

Especially in the Meeting took place with their plays the following theatre groups:

  • Theatre Workshop of the English Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki-  GREECE, WHEN THE BODY…

  • Theatre Group, Department of Theatre Studies, University of Patras - GREECE, "Women Figures"  Synthesis of works by Euripides, Racine, Ibsen, Wedekind, G. Chrisoulis

  • Independent Theatre Group, Tsiritsantsoules - GREECE, Synthesis: CYCLOPS by Euripides and SATYRS-TRACKERS by Sophocles-Euripides

  • Alavam Group "Professional Independent Group" and Benemerita Autonomic University of Puebla - MEXICO, "I don't move, I don't scream, I have  no voice".

  • Theatrical Workshop of Cyprus University (THEPAK) - CYPRUS, "Explanation Of Cyprus, The Sweet Country" by Leontios Maheras

  • University Theatre from the University of Costa Rica in Central America - COSTA RICA,"The woman who fell from the sky" by Víctor Hugo Rascón Banda

  • Theatre Academy of  Wroclaw, POLAND, ASINARIA by Plautus

  • Studentina Theatre Studio of Sofia - BULGARIA, BRIDGES

  • IACE Creative Research Lab - USA, "Birdbath"  by Leonard Melfi

  • Theatre - Etudes de l’ Institut National des sciences Appliquees de Lyon - France, "The Tempest"  by Shakespeare

  • Theatre Studio "Palepe", Vilnius Gediminas Technical University - Lithuania, "The Suite" based on the short story "the Wonderful Ice-cream Colour Suite" by Ray Bradbury

  • TEATRO AENIGMA / University of Urbino - ITALY, "The Dissension River", Collective dramaturgy

  • THEATRE AT THE BRINK - Institute of Classic Philology, Leipzig University - GERMANY, MEDEAMACHINE by Simeon Stampoulou

  • Theatrical Group of the National Technical University of Athens- GREECE, "Salome" by Oscar Wilde

  • School of Drama, The Korean National University of Arts – KOREA, "Hecabe"  by Euripides

  • Ege University Theatre Club (EUTT) TURKEY, "War Father"  by Yakovos Kambenellis

  • Theatre Group of the Drama Department of the University of Athens – GREECE, "My Theory…My Sin" (Composition of various Greek and Italian theatrical plays with women as the main theme).

  • Pantios Theatre Group - Pantios Theatre Group - GREECE, "Suthermann’s Pride", by G. H. Isaias

  • DRIS, Theatre Initiative of the Youth, University of Athens - Cultural Club of Students - Greece, "Extra-Terrestrial Birds" (from "The Birds" by Aristophanes)

  • Group Theatre TEAPI-University of Athens - Greece, "THE STORY OF LADY OTHELLO" by Elias Lagios

Workshops

Under the cover of the events there were also two performances from Carsten Wilhelm and Mitsiko Tsubaki from the University of Leipzig and five theatre workshops also took place, which were joined by members of theatre groups that function in several cities of the region. In the workshops taught the following directors and theatre professors:

Dr Miroslaw Kocur, theatre director and scholar (Poland): The essence of acting: Practical explorations.
 Carlo Formigoni, stage director (Italy): From narration to representation.
 Miguel Garcia Ordaz, theatre professor (Cuba): the theatrical game: reflection on experience.
 Anna Lazou, theatre researcher (Greece): the Dionysian element in dance and drama.
 Bill Reichblum, artistic director (USA): singing with the body.

Congress

At the same time it was taking place in Olympia the 5th World Congress of University Theatre (IUTA) with the participation of well known professors from about 40 universities from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Estonia, France, Greece, Hong-Kong, Korea, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Senegal, Spain, United Kingdom, USA and Venezuela.

As it seems from the plurality of the activities and as it was proved from the high level of the plays, the 3rd International Meeting of University Theatre in Olympia went on with great success, was obviously better from the two previous institutions that took place in 2001 and 2002 and put the foundation to move on with much bigger steps in the future. However, a condition for this will be the essential support from the local authorities (the Municipality of Ancient Olympia, the Prefecture of Ilia, the rest municipalities as well as, the Local Union of Municipalities of Ilia), as well as from the national authorities, and especially the Ministries of Culture and of Education.