Aristophanes’ The Birds, the Epidaurus Festival, and the Onassis Cultural Centre

In this article, Michaela Antoniou offers a close analysis of Nikos Karathanos's 2016 production of Aristophanes’ The Birds, which was staged at the Epidaurus Festival with the support of the Onassis Cultural Centre. She argues that the context embodies Eric Hobsbawm's concept of the ‘invented tradition’, and examines its often problematic relation to the Centre, which, as a powerful and economically independent organization, occupies a dominant position in the field of theatre in Greece. The essential parameters and scope of Karathanos's performance aesthetics are analyzed through the lens of Michel Foucault and Kornelius Kastoriadis, while attention is also given to the media discourse surrounding the work. Finally, the article historicizes Karathanos's The Birds in relation to Koun's renowned 1959 production in order to examine Karathanos's intention to interpret the play as a production for his and our time. Michaela Antoniou is Teaching Fellow in Acting at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is also an actress, playwright, author, and translator, and has previously published articles on the work of Karolos Koun.