Avra Sidiropoulou Lecturer of Theatre Arts Stage Director 2, Lefkados Street Aglantzia, Nicosia 2103, Cyprus Tel. (+357) 22411913 E-mail: avra.sidiropoulou@ouc.ac.cy, Mobile: (+357) 99293266 http://ouc.academia.edu/avrasidiropoulou EDUCATION: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. PhD Degree in The Theatre of the Director-Auteur: Text, Form and Authorship (with Distinction) in September 2009 Columbia University, New York, U.S.A. M.F.A. Degree in Theater Direction in May 2000 Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom. M. Phil. Degree in American Literature in July 1996 King s College London, London, United Kingdom. M.A. Degree in Text and Performance in September 1995 (Taught jointly with Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. B.A. Degree in English Language and Literature in July 1994 Graduated as Valedictorian with a First Class degree University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh. United Kingdom. Erasmus grantee in the Department of English. (October 1991-April 1992) ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Lecturer of Theatre Arts at the Open University of Cyprus. (Nicosia, Cyprus, January 2012-present) Adjunct Lecturer of Directing Theory and Practice at the University of Peloponnese, Department of Theater Arts. (Nafplio, Greece, September 2009 August 2011) Artistic Director. Persona Theatre Company. (A not-for-profit organization. Athens, Greece, 2003-present)
2 Adjunct Lecturer of Drama, Theatre History and Theatre Practice at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of English. (Thessaloniki, Greece, September 2007-June 2010) Visiting Professor of Drama in Theory and Practice. (Bosphorus University, Department of Western Languages and Literatures. International Summer School. (Istanbul, Turkey, June-August 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001) Special Counselor to the Minister. Ministry of Culture and Tourism. (Athens, Greece, 2003-2004). Responsible for the arts section. Cultural Manager, Hellenic Culture Organisation. (Athens, Greece, November 2003-Junr 2004). Adjunct Lecturer of Acting and in Theatre Arts. (University of Peloponnese, Department of Theater Arts), Nafplio, Greece. October 2003 August 2004) Instructor in Acting and Directing. The Theater of Changes Drama School. (Athens, Greece, September 2002-2005) Art Consultant, NOVO ARTS. (Νew York, U.S.A., 2000-2001). Director of the not-for-profit foundation Give your Art Foundation. Project Manager, Elizabeth Marton Agency. (Νew York, U.S.A., 2000-2001). Critical study of new plays and handling American playwrights royalties overseas. PUBLICATIONS: MONOGRAPHS Authoring Performance: The Director in Contemporary Theatre. New York: Palgrave Macmillan [December 2011]. CHAPTERS IN EDITED VOLUMES Upcoming (November 2013) Greece. International Women Stage Directors. Ed. Anne Fliotsos and Wendy Vierow. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. [Advance contract; expected publication 2013.] JOURNALS AND CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS Upcoming (Spring 2014) The legacy of postmodernity in contemporary Greek performance: The example of Blitz-Pequod-Kanigunda theatre companies. Greek Theatre in the 21 st Century. Culture Teatrali 23.
3 Upcoming (Fall 2013) The Aesthetization and Anaesthetization of Form. Emotion as anathema in revisionist stagings of Greek drama. Proceedings of the 12 th International Symposium of Ancient Greek Drama. Nicosia, Cyprus, 2012. Upcoming (October 2013) The Struggle for Ambiguity: Re-shaping the Myth of Clytemnestra for the Stage. Practioners Voices in Classical Reception Studies. Issue 4 (2013). Upcoming (2013) The rules of the game and the limits of performance in the theatre of the Director-Auteur. Theatre Arts Department Conference From the Land of Text to the Kingdom of the Stage. University of Athens, January 2011. [Up-coming Publication in Conference Proceedings]. Authorship of the Text and the Ethics of Directing. ITI s Theatre News Magazine, April 2010). The Challenge of Neo-dramatic Writing in the Anglo-Saxon Theatre. (Gramma Journal, Issue 17. Thessaloniki, Greece,2010). Dividing Cultures: Racially Unresolved Identities in Adrienne Kennedy s Drama. International Conference Nationalism and Sexuality: Crises of Identity of the Hellenic-American Association, (Thessaloniki, June 1995). [Publication in the Conference Proceedings, 1996]. PUBLICATIONS OF PLAYS: A Dramatic Affair: A Play in Heartbeats (excerpt). In the collective volume of creative writing Northern Lights (Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2010). Seasonal. In the collection of Contemporary Greek Plays Theatrico Analogio (Athens, Greece, 2005). CONFERENCES: Up-coming: Adaptation, [Re]contextualization and Metaphor: Myth on the 21st Century Stage. The Centre for Myth Studies at the University Of Essex. (Firstsite, Colchester, U.K., September 2013).
4 Einstein on the Beach: Robert Wilson s Humanistic Formalism. International Symposium Einstein on the Beach: Opera after Drama. (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 5-6 January, 2013). Expected Publication. The Aesthetization and Anaesthetization of Form: Emotion as an 'Anathema' in Revisionist Approaches to Greek drama. 11 th International Symposium on Ancient Greek Drama. (Nicosia, Cyprus., July 2012). Inspiring Artists-Inspired Audiences: Probing into Directors Secrets. Presentation. Work. Acting and Directing Colloquium. Mid-America Theatre Conference (Chicago, U.S.A., March 2012). The Body as Dramaturgical Text. Body & Soli. Colloquium organized by Dance Gate Cyprus (Nicosia, Cyprus, May 2011). The Actor s Autonomy in Current Theater Practice. Presentation. The Body in Theater Practice. Colloqium organized by Versus Theatre (Limassol, Cyprus, May 2011). The rules of the game and the limits of performance in the theatre of the Director-Auteur. (Theatre Arts Department Conference From the Land of Text to the Kingdom of the Stage. University of Athens, January 2011. [Up-coming Publication in Conference Proceedings]. The Stage Claiming the Text: Neo-dramatic writing and the legacy of Beckett s performance plays. IFTR Global Conference on Cultures of Modernity. (Munich, Germany, July 2010). Revealing our own Other: Theatre Across Cultures. Applied Theatre and Citizenship Conference, Νew York University (New York, U.S.A., April 2010). Authorship of the Text and the Ethics of Directing. Presentation. Organized by the Cyprus Office of I.T.I. (Nicosia, Cyprus, 2010). (Publication in ITI s Theatre News Magazine, April 2010). Dividing Cultures: Racially Unresolved Identities in Adrienne Kennedy s Drama. International Conference Nationalism and Sexuality: Crises of Identity of the Hellenic-American Association, (Thessaloniki, June 1995). [Publication in the Conference Proceedings, 1996]. The Role of Theatre Performance in EFLT. International PALSO Conference. (Athens, Greece, September 1995).
5 WORKSHOPS AND COLLOQUIUMS: Directing Techniques: Analysis, Interpretation, Composition. A seminar of directing practice for primary school teachers. Organized by IDEA (Organization for Theatre in Education). (Nicosia, Cyprus, January 2013). Theatre in Education. A seminar of fundamental staging techniques for primary school teachers. Organized by Geroskipou Theatre Workshop. (Paphos, November 2012). Staging a Production. A one-day Seminar of Theatre Practice for High School Teachers. Ministry of Culture and Education of Cyprus. (Nicosia, Cyprus. September 2012.) Literature on Stage. Dramatizing Greek Fiction. Workshop. Organized by the Greek Consulate in Istanbul. Sismanoglio Cultural Center. [Istanbul, Turkey, July 2012]. Dramaturgical Approaches to Modern Greek Literature. Workshop. Org. Persona Theatre Company in collaboration to the Department of Western Languages and Literatures of Bosphorus University. [Istanbul, Turkey, November 2011]. Theatre Practice and its Function as a Means of Interactive Education in Self-Awareness. Workshop. Org. Organisation of Human Resource Development of Cyprus. (Nicosia, Cyprus, May-June 2011). The Use of Theatre in Social Services. Workshop. Department of Social Sciences, Frederick University (Nicosia, Cyprus, March 2010). Myth and cultural understanding: Approaching the other through the theatre. Colloquium. Org. Persona Theatre Company in Collaboration with Bosphorus University. (Istanbul, Turkey, June 2004). The role of women in Turkish and Greek dramatic production. Colloquium. Org. Persona Theatre Company in Collaboration with Bosphorus University. (Istanbul, Turkey, June 2004). HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS:
6 John McGrath Scholarship, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Scottish International Summer School, 2008 (Creative Writing) Visiting Fellow. Columbia University. Programme of Hellenic Studies. New York, U.S.A., 2007-8. Columbia University Theater Arts Scholarship, New York, U.S.A. (September 1998-May 1999) Foundation Lilian Voudouri, Athens, Greece Scholarship for graduate studies in performing arts (Athens, Greece 1998-1999) Institute for State Scholarships (IKY), Athens, Greece Award for highest achievement per academic year (April 1993, April 1992, April 1991) Greek Ministry of Education Grant for study in Scandinavian art and literature at the University of Oslo, Athens, Greece (June-July- August 1995) THEATRE EXPERIENCE: Artistic Director: Persona Theater Company Subsidies/ sponsorship: Hellenic Culture Organization (2007), Ministry of Culture (2006, 2005, 2004), Municipality of Thessaloniki (2005), European Union (2004). Director. Someone s Going to Come. J.Fosse. Versus Theatre. Theatre Ena. (Nicosia and Limassol, Cyprus, November 2013-January 2014). Director. A Meek Girl. F.Dostoyevsky. Supported by The Pushkin Institute of Athens. Studio Mavromihali. (Athens, Greece, September 2012). Director. Tell-Tale Hearts: The (Un) Told Stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Director. Vafopouleio Cultural Center. (Thessaloniki, Greece, June 2010 and Hellenic-American Union, Athens, Greece, October 2010). Playwright-Director. Αnd God Said.A Parable. Co-produced by Persona Theatre Company and Garajistanbul. (Garajistanbul Theatre, Istanbul, April 2009 & International Fadjr Festival, Tehran, Iran, January 2010). Director. Faust: Quest. J.W.V. Goethe. Co-produced by the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art and Goethe Institute.
7 (Macedonian Museum of Modern Art and Aneton Theatre. Thessaloniki, Greece, March, May 2009). Director. Genesis. Two One-Act plays. S. Alexis. (Theatre Chora, Athens, Greece, February-April 2009). Director. Streetcar Named Desire. T. Williams. Produced by Bald Theatre (Aneton Theatre. Thessaloniki, Greece. Veliko Turnovo Arts Centre, Bulgaria, April-May 2008). Writer-Director. Clytemnestra s Tears. Produced by Persona Theatre Company, supported by Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Hellenic Culture Organization, The Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Organization and the Costopoulos Foundation. Performed by Themis Bazaka (La MaMa ETC, New York, U.S.A., May 2007 and Dipylon Theatre, Athens, Greece, April-May 2004). Director. Leftovers/ Memories are Killing. S. Beckett. Based on S. Beckett s The Expelled (1 st Balkan Performing Arts Market. Foyer Ε.Μ.S., Municipal Theater of Northern Greece. Thessaloniki, Greece, June 2006). Writer-Director. Seasonal. A staged reading in the play-reading series Analogio 2005. (Alekton Theater, Athens, Greece, December 2005). Director. Lunch. S. Berkoff. Sponsored by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. (Dipylon Theater, Athens, Greece, February-April 2005). Director. Ante Portas: Three Metaphysical One-Acts. A. Strindberg, M. Rachilde, V. Briusov. (Dipylon Theater, Athens, Greece, March- April 2005). Writer-Director. Clytemnestra s Tears. Tri-cultural performance, performed in Greek, Turkish and English. Funded by the European Union within the framework of the programme for the promotion of Greek-Turkish civic dialogue (Tiyatro Oyunevi, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2004. Οfficial participation in the International Arts Festival Dimitria 2005 (Thessaloniki, Greece, September 2005). Director. Total Eclipse. C. Carafyllis. (Experimental Theater Wing. The National Theater of Greece, Athens, Greece, May 2003) Director. Ders (The Lesson). E. Ionesco. In Turkish. (Demir Demirgil Salonu, Istanbul, Turkey, August 2002)
8 Director-Writer. Small Silly Sins: Three American Tales. Based on Raymond Carver s fiction. (Experimental Theater Wing. The National Theater of Greece, Athens, Greece, May 2002) Director. Talk to Me Like the Rain. T. Williams. In English and Turkish. (Demir Demirgil Salonu, Istanbul, Turkey,August 2001) Director. Tales from the Vienna Woods. O. von Horváth. Director. (Horace Mann Theater, New York, U.S.A., December 1999). Cosponsored by the Austrian Cultural Institute, New York. Director. Pigoletto. M. Lee. (Present Company Theatorium, New York, U.S.A., July 1999). Director. Macbeth, an Excerpt. W. Shakespeare. (Schapiro Theater, New York, U.S.A., April 1999) Director. Faust: Part I. J. W. von Goethe. (Schapiro Theater, New York, U.S.A., March 1999) Writer-Director. Sexodus. (13 th Street Repertory, New York, June 1998). Produced by Devastation Productions (founding member). Also Produced by the Women s Theater Festival The Culture Project at 42 Bleecker. Dir. Nina Hein. (New York, Greece, July 2002)