Download Established in 2002 by Greek theatre director Elli Papakonstantinou

Established in 2002 by Greek theatre director Elli Papakonstantinou, ODC Ensemble
is a highly acclaimed company active in the field of contemporary and experimental
art. ODC Ensemble creates hybrid art involving citizens/activists in non-theatrical
spaces (thus intervening in wider public space). Their work takes place inside and
outside of buildings, where the audience moves following the action, thus
questioning traditional frontal relationships with the audience. ODC ensemble
creates engaged art, out of the box, in unexpected spaces like a window-screen on
Broadway Avenue, N.Y., a residential building (polukatoikia) in Athens, industrial
spaces etc.
Since March 2011, ODC Ensemble has been based at their own venue,
“Vyrsodepseio” - the biggest tannery of the Balkans in the 19th century. They
transformed it into a multi-stage, versatile space for performing arts. “Vyrsodepseio”
is situated at the fringe of Athens, in a neglected post-industrial area.
“Vyrsodepseio” is a member of International Networks Trans Europe Halles (TEH)
and IETM and runs under the Auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
The company's work was presented internationally at the Edinburgh Festival (UK),
Athens & Epidaurus Festival (GR), the Princeton University (U.S.A.), the Opera House
of Cairo (EG), the National Theatre of Greece, LaMaMa Theatre NY (U.S.A.), the 1st
International Theatre Festival of Iraq, the Inauguration Ceremony of the Library of
Alexandria (EG), X-Dream Festival (CY), Neukollner Oper Berlin (GE), ,
Musikteatertage festival Wienna (AU), Antik Teatre Barcelona (SP), etc. It was
presented at the National Greek participation in PQ Quadrennial 2016 (CZ).
KEYWORDS:
Theatre of the displaced and disposed I Epic theatre of the collective/masses I
Theatre of the Athenian citizens representing the voice of the one author and of the
polis I
Displacement of the audience as a means of radical thinking I
Hybrid performances I
Spaces of Utopia I
Big Scale spatial interventions I
Theatre of Catastrophism: The relentless refusal of the expected and the excess of
transforming experiences is the essence of dramatic experience, involving the
bewilderment of the audience in the face of persistent dislocation. The sense of
having witnessed too much is crucial. It leads not to a drunkenness or a reeling
exhaustion but a roaring sense of possibility and a rinsing out of accumulated
expectations.
ODC Ensemble Company
Adrian Frieling (actor) was born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied »Applied Cultural
Science« ( – fine arts, literature and theatre, in theory and praxis [acting, dramaturgy,
directing]) at University of Hildesheim, Germany. As a basic member of the German
theatre-company »THEATER MAHAGONI« (Ηannover, Βerlin) he partic- ipated in 25
theatre-productions (1992-2000). The Plays were shown on Festivals in Berlin, Cologne,
Basel, Leipzig, Hannover, Antwerp, »IMPULSE«- Festival, »KAMPNAGEL« and
others. In 1995 he started to work also in Athens. The most known productions were:
»Althusser Rock«, 1995, by »THEATER MAHAGONI«, director: Albrecht Hirche,
Michael Marmarinos (Ath- ens, Berlin, Paris, Angouléme, Oldenburg, Hannover, Leipzig,
Festival «Manöver») »Electra« (Sophokles, role: »Pylades«), 1998, direc- tor: Michael
Marmarinos («Athens Festival», Epi- dauros, Thessaloniki). »Bad Actors«, 1999, by
»THEATER MAHAGONI« (Ath- ens, Berlin, Hannover, Festivals in Hannover, «Euroszene» (Leipzig), «TRANSEUROPA» (Hildesheim), First Price of Festival
»IMPULSE«. »Clytemnestra«, 2000, by Αndreas Staikos, directed by Adrian Frieling
(Thessaloniki, Athens) »FASSBINDER …harder! …faster! …more!«, 2003, written and
directed by Adrian Frieling, (Athens, Bremen) »Dying as a Country« by Dimitris
Dimitriadis,
2007/8, director:
Michael
Marmarinos.
(«Athens
Festival»,
«Kunstenfestival» Bruxelles, «Wiener
Festwochen» Vienna, «Dramatyczny» Warsaw, «Fes- tival d’Automne» Paris).
Since 2009 he is a member of the ODC company participating in: ‘META’ ‘Viciousness
in the kitchen of Sylvia Plath’, “Woyzeck Quartet”, ‘SKIN’ “Touching Bottom”
and "Richard II".
Valia Papachristou (dancer) graduated from the National School of Dance. Took her
Masters degree’s in Laban Center with the group ‘Transitions’ in London. Permanent
member of the dancetheater company OKTANA (choreographer: Constantine Rigos) for
eight years. As a dancer she has also collaborated with “Omada Edafous” (choreographer:
Dimitris Papaioannou) Antigone Gyra in the “Chorika” of Zozo Nikoloudi and the
company “X-it”
(choreographer: Fotis Nikolaou).
As a choreographer-kinesiologist she has collaborated with Embros Theater
International Theater Thiseion Theater Technis Theater The New Greek Theater (a.o) and
with the: Michael Marmarinos Marianna Kalmpari Dimitris Mavrikios Theodoros
Gramsa Tassos Mpantis John Kakleas George Armenis Nikaiti Kontouri Stamatis
Fasoulis a.o. She has choreographed the operas “Julius Ceasar in Egypt” “Orpheus in
Hades” (Thessaloniki
Auditorium). The opera “Wound” (Hellenic Festival 2008) and the musical “The sixth
floor”
(Michael Cacogiannis Foundation 2012).
As a performer she took part in the performances of Theater Technis: ‘Nefeles’ ‘Happy
End’ ‘Alkistis’ and the performance ‘Dye as a country’ directed by Michael
Maramarinos. In 2009 took her teaching diploma in yoga from the Institut fuer Yoga und
Gesundheit, in Colonia.
She has taught in the Drama School of George Armenis and the theatrical school “ACT
7” of Theodoros Gramsa where she still teaches.
Since 2009 she is a member of the ODC company participating in: ‘META’, “Woyzeck
Quartet”, ‘SKIN’ “Touching Bottom” and "Richard II".
Aleksandra Siafkou [Set and Costume Designer]
Born in Athens in 1982. She graduated from the Warsaw Arts High School in 2000 and
the Art Direction Department of the Stavrakos Cinema and Television School. She
worked as an assistant to the renowned set and costume designer Yannis Metzikof.
Since 2009 she collaborated with ODC Ensemble in the performances: ‘META’,
‘Viciousness in the kitchen of Sylvia Plath’, “Woyzeck Quartet”, ‘SKIN’ “Touching
Bottom” by D. Dimitriades and "Richard II" by W. Shakespeare.
Aristotelis Karananos [Set Designer] was born in Athens in 1970. He graduated from
the Department of Mathematics (University of Athens).
Since 2009 he collaborated with ODC Ensemble in: ‘META’, ‘Viciousness in the kitchen
of Sylvia Plath’, “Woyzeck Quartet”, ‘SKIN’ “Touching Bottom” and "Richard II".
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In 2004 she spent Spring at the Music & Advanced Media Department of Princeton
Univeristy with a Fulbright Artist's Award. She has been commissioned by the National
Theatre of Greece, the Royal Court theatre, London, the LAMaMa, New York, the
Edinburgh Festival, the SGT, the Hellenic Festival, the National Theatre of Cyprus, the
International Institute of Theatre, iTi., etc. Her work has been presented at several
international festivals including the Edinburgh Festival (1st Fringe Award), 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.
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Elli Papakonstantinou: performance artist, artistic director of ODC Ensemble, founder &
artistic director of Art Centre VYRSODEPSEIO.
Elli Papakonstantinou is a well known Greek performance artist. After studying at the
Greek National School of Arts, she moved to the UK, to continue her studies. (MA at the
Royal Holloway, University of London). She spent many years in London (working at
The Royal Court, The Edinburgh Festival and the West End) then Athens and Berlin.
Elli is making an art revolution taking performing arts out of the box to connect politics
and art. In 2001, she founded the artistic company ODC Ensemble. With ODC Ensemble,
Elli creates extreme art that questions traditional expectations. She conceives, writes and
directs all of ODC Ensemble works.
In 2011 Elli and ODC founded the Art Centre VYRSODEPSEIO, an independent space
for the Arts and an independent network of artists and activists. It is a platform for avantgarde art and international networking. (Full-member of the Trans Europe Halle Network
and of the IETM).