Ghosts and Gods Ibsen, Tragic Actors and Modern Tragedies in 20th-Century Greek Theater Practice

This chapter presents the reception of Ibsen in Greece through the example of Ghosts. Ibsen's approach in Greece can be illuminated by trying to understand the conditions of two of the most important productions of this particular play which also illustrate the main tendencies of twentieth-century Greek theatrical practices, especially of the period following World War II. The productions were conceived by two major figures of Greek theatre: the actor and director Alexis Minotis, who has received wide public acclaim and almost unanimous critical support as one of the most important artists of the National Theatre of Greece, and the director Karolos Koun, who, having founded the Art Theater in 1942, is still considered the most important innovator of Greek theatre until his death in 1987. The presentation concludes with an analysis of the play Ibsenland by Iakovos Kambanellis, one of the most prolific and influential Greek playwrights of the twentieth century. These three interrelated examples offer an outline of the long and continuous presence of Ibsen on the Greek stage.