Euripides's HELEN, Directed By Ioli Andreadi, Is First Theatre Performance To Play Bishop's Basilica In Philippopolis

Euripides' Helen directed by Ioli Andreadi will be the first theatre performance to ever take place at the historic archaeological site of the Bishop's Basilica in Philippopolis, Bulgaria (4th century AD).

After the great success of Euripides' ION which was presented in 2019 at The Tank Theater in New York, groundbreaking Greek director Ioli Andreadi returns to Ancient Drama, focusing again on Euripides and directing again a single actor performing multiple characters: Euripides' Helen, starring Vasiliki Troufakou. The famous Greek actress performs all the roles in the play, moving impressively from one hero to another, utilizing her voice and body as the only means of transformation between characters. Joining her onstage is the leading Greek percussionist Nikos Touliatos. Αdaptation for one actress by Ioli Andreadi and Aris Asproulis.

Τhe show will be presented at the invitation of the former Artistic Director of Drama Theatre of Plovdiv and current Minister of Culture of Bulgaria Krastyu Krastev, on September 12 at 7pm in Greek with Bulgarian and English surtitles, as part of the "Crossroads Stage Autumn Theater Festival" which is organized by Drama Theatre of Plovdiv, between 10-21 September 2023. The entrance is free.

Director Ioli Andreadi notes: "Euripides' Helen is not a tragicomedy. It is a frighteningly timely and heartbreaking piece of work. A tragic work that speaks of the 'here and now'. A work for the woman. And a play about war. About the radical innocence of women and the way their fate is so often woven solely through the decisions and violence of men. A play about the futile madness of war and the empty shirts it gives away as trophies. A play about the absurdity of battle and the wounds of love. A play about beauty as a source of unhappiness. I choose this 'woman's play' to be performed entirely by a female actress, Vasiliki Troufakou, facing multiple historical roles within an hour, male and female, younger and older, because I want us to explore, against the interpretive and directorial stereotypes, the female identity and the female body as a multiform scenic experience and as a source of connection to the root of the tragic. A companion on this scenic route as a valuable interlocutor is the rhythm through the ritualistic soundscape of the percussion of Nikos Touliatos".

Euripides' Helen directed by Ioli Andreadi was created at the International Workshop of Ancient Drama of the Philippi Festival under the Artistic Direction of Theodoris Gonis.

The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis

First discovered in 1982 during road construction in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis is being brought back to life thanks to a public-private partnership between the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), Plovdiv Municipality, and Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture. The project for restoration of the Bishop's Basilica began in 2014 and builds on the experience of ABF and the Plovdiv Municipality with the successful completion of another site in Plovdiv - the Small Basilica.

The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis is the largest Early Christian temple in this country and was likely among the first to be erected in the Roman Empire after Christianity was legalized, in 313 AD.

The visitor center of the restored basilica will open its doors to visitors in 2021 and will reveal over 2,000 sq.m. Roman mosaics from the IV-VI century AD, exhibited on two levels - in situ and on the second floor. More than 100 unique medallions with different types of birds come to life on the mosaics - from dancing guinea fowls to peacocks with outstretched tails, from chattering parrots to a bird that feeds its young.

The center includes an interactive children's "Discovery Zone" to present the Basilica's history in an understandable, engaging manner. The outdoor area will include a children's playground which incorporates the history of the Basilica site, a café, and a gathering place for entertainment. The playground is made possible through a contribution by EVN, the electrical power supply company for the region. EVN will also donate an electric car charging station at the Basilica.

The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis is on the UNESCO tentative list and is pursuing inclusion on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites.

Euripides' Helen directed by Ioli Andreadi will be the first theatre performance to ever take place here.