The Readers of Homer Thrills New York on its Epic Tour

Wall Street Greek Film & Theatre Columnist Penelope Karageorge got the opportunity to partake in the New York City reading of Homer's Odyssey late last fall. Penelope provides a review of the touring event for you here. The Readers of Homer is a unique touring spectacle, using audience participation to maximize the fun. It has been taken the world over, including to Chios, Greece, a legendary home of Homer, and certainly the ancestral home of Wall Street Greek founder Markos Kaminis.

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The Readers of Homer Thrills New York on its Epic Tour

Hundreds of New Yorkers turned on to the master Greek poet Homer, with an extraordinary marathon reading of The Odyssey at New York’s 92ND St. Y. Staged by the Readers of Homer and led by the remarkable actor/theatre director Yiannis Simonides, this reading nourished the soul and the stomach. A dinner preceded the reading with succulent roast lamb, as well as other delicious Greek foods – many dishes replicating those found in The Odyssey, and wine. During the marathon, participants could step out for honey and yogurt reinforcement, or a glass of wine.

But the thrills didn’t stop there! Just as mind-blowing, LyrAvlos played hand-made instruments replicating those from the Homeric era. Fantastic! Represented in New York by Panagiotis, Olga and Michalis Stefas, LyrAvlos is totally unique. And the Choreo Dance Group! One had to be there at 1 a.m. when the dancers, dressed as sirens, lit up the theatre as they sinuously moved up the aisles.

A total of two hundred readers participated, reading for between two and three minutes and remarkably, it proceeded as smoothly as moonlight on the Aegean. I was thrilled to be one of the readers, Number 59. Before the program, Simonides provided readers with complete instructions, via the charming Oxford U. graduate Stephania Xydia, PR woman for the program. I learned my exact minute, 23:26 and was given my lines. (Odysseus encountering the Cyclops in his cave)

Although I could have left the auditorium at any time previous to presenting, I found myself totally mesmerized. It was extraordinary to hear the great Homeric poetry read aloud. Although I’ve read and reread The Odyssey – kicking it off with a child’s version – and taught it at CUNY, The Readers of Homer brought vibrant life and color to Homer’s work.

The program began at 7 p.m., and ended at 8 a.m. with Four Meditations on War, a musical piece scored for bass-baritone and string quartet, conducted by composer Mark Latham. Created during some of the bleakest days of the war in Iraq, the composition reflected the complexity of the Homeric theme of war and all that arises from it: courage, cowardice, beauty, fulfillment, heroism and love.

Born in Constantinople and raised in Athens, Simonides is a Yale Drama School graduate and Emmy-award winning documentary producer. He has served as professor and chair of the NYU Tisch SOA Drama Department, and as executive director of COSMOS FM. He continues to tour the world with The Apology Project, a Socrates dramatization based on Plato, written and directed by the amazing Loukas Skipitaris.

Simonides and the Readers have brought Homer to Montevideo, Uruguay and Kos island in Greece. On April 30, 2011, the group staged a marathon reading of Homer’s Iliad at the Getty Villa in Malibu, California.

Readers of Homer can only be described as wonderful, an amazing group that we hope will flourish forever. We urge anybody who has the opportunity to attend and/or be a part of the Homeric readings to get involved. If you’re interested in participating or even making a contribution, you can go to the website: Thereadersofhomer.org



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Please see our disclosures at the Wall Street Greek website and author bio pages found there. This article and website in no way offers or represents financial or investment advice. Information is provided for entertainment purposes only.

Dogtooth Oscar Nominee for Best Foreign Film

Greek Film Flirts with Oscar!

Wall Street Greek Film & Theatre Columnist Penelope Karageorge takes a close look at Dogtooth, Greece's Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film. Karageorge speaks with the film's stunned Writer/ Director Yorgos Lanthimos, and several others about the film and the Greek film industry, as Dogtooth takes the stage among the world's best.

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Dogtooth, Oscar Nominee for Best Foreign Film

Greece's Dogtooth, a ground-breaking, tragi-comic film written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Dogtooth faced enormous competition in the international arena, with 66 films from around the world in contention.

"Getting nominated was unexpected. It has made me and my collaborators extremely happy," Lanthimos exclaimed.

In Dogtooth, a husband and wife keep their children imprisoned in their house, where they play weird games and learn a language devised by their parents, while indulging in bizarre, sexless sex. It's funny, offensive, tragic and brilliant.

If Lanthimos was surprised, actor Christos Stergioglou, who plays the father, said he was "in a state of shock" over the nomination. "The film shows what stupidity can lead to – when you want to control everything, even under the pretext of love and protection. It is both a very serious and ridiculous subject!" Stergioglou said.

"This nomination is a fine tribute to Lanthimos," said NYC Greek Film Festival director James DeMetro. "He has made a strikingly original film that deserves the attention it has received worldwide. But the nomination is also wonderful for the Greek film industry. Greek films are shown all over the world, but the American market has been resistant and unwelcoming. This nomination is bound to attract attention to the Greek film industry. It sends a clear message that Greek filmmakers are turning out world class films that deserve to be seen."

The New York Greek Film Festival early committed to Dogtooth with a screening and panel discussion on the film, an event so successful that it had to move to a larger venue to accommodate an overflow crowd. An exceptional panel including Dan Georgakas, editor of Cineaste Film Quarterly; psychologist Dr. Tom Mallios; and Vangelis Caltychos, Columbia University professor, analyzed the film and discussed the intriguing issues that it raised.

A.O. Scott, film critic for The New York Times, pointed out: "Mr. Lanthimos is part of a Greek generation of filmmakers whose work is iconoclastic, formally daring and sometimes abrasive. These directors, in turn, are part of a loose network that spreads across much of the world, linked by the promise of festival exposure and the challenge of raising money in a worldwide climate of economic constriction."

"Their work is almost invisible here, though it commands a fair amount of attention in the flourishing and contentious cinephile wing of the blogosphere. But it is nonetheless available to anyone with the curiosity and patience to navigate the new, fast-evolving cosmos of V.O.D. and streaming Web video... a whole world of movies is out there waiting to be discovered."

Time Out New York senior film critic Joshua Rothkopf named Dogtooth one of the Ten Best Films of 2010.

The Oscars will be awarded tonight, Sunday, February 27, in Los Angeles. Films competing with Greece's Dogtooth include Denmark's A Better World; Canada's Incendies; Mexico's Biutiful; and Algeria's Outside the Law.



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Please see our disclosures at the Wall Street Greek website and author bio pages found there. This article and website in no way offers or represents financial or investment advice. Information is provided for entertainment purposes only.

Wall Street Fandango

Director Stephan Morrow Directs Brilliant, Uncon- ventional Shisgal Comedy

Wall Street Greek Film and Theatre Columnist Penelope Karageorge gets into the creative mind of Greek-American Director Stephan Morrow, as the two discuss famed Playwright Murray Shisgal's work, Wall Street Fandango.

(Photo left to right: Playwright Murray Shisgal, Director Stephan Morrow, Director Ulu Grosbard, actress Rose Gregorio, a Tony nominee)

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Wall Street Fandango

Can dynamic director Stephan Morrow succeed in bringing Wall Street Fandango, an absurdist tragic-comedy by Murray Shisgal, to the Broadway stage? In Fandango, two financial industry men – a super-successful, rule-breaking bon vivant and a plodding hedge-fund manager - forge a close friendship that leads ultimately to a reversal of fortunes. Fandango is timely, provocative, hilarious, and smart. It takes risks with performer duets, a "rap" solo, a ballet interlude, and breaking the fourth wall – performers addressing the audience directly.

We talked with Greek-American Morrow (originally Morros - changed by a grandfather) at The Cupcake, a coffee shop near The Actor's Studio. Loaded with opinions, Morrow could easily be at home in Europe's talking capital, Athens, a city for which he claims an affinity.

"Drop the N word from your vocabulary," Morrow insists, kicking off our conversation. "Networking is the N word. You have to develop collegiate relationships with people, with fellow artists, with colleagues. You're not selling shoes. Networking does not apply to the arts!" Morrow leans across the table, his face dark with concern.

Morrow segues from personality to personality as he talks. "I was very influenced by Elia Kazan. He really gave me a break when he mentored me into The Actor's Studio in the mid-eighties. I learned dramaturgy from Kazan. I learned structure from Kazan. He was the moderator in the unit, so I'm pretty astute about why a play does or doesn't play."

A long collaboration with Norman Mailer led to his staging Mailer's The Deer Park at the Actor's Studio. Playwright Shisgal saw the work, was impressed, and asked Morrow to direct Wall Street Fandango. Morrow hadn't known Shisgal, the author of the enormously successful Broadway hit Luv and co-author of the film Tootsie, despite the fact that they were both in the playwright/director unit at The Actors Studio. "I noticed this older man who would occasionally bring a lot of gravitas to his criticism. I was flattered when Murray offered me the play."

Morrow read the script with astonishment and delight. "I found it better and more literate than about ninety percent of what I'd seen on Broadway," Morrow recalls. "What I like most about it is that it's not TV writing on stage, which just bores the hell out of me. There's a difference. There's the voice of the playwright and there's an emotional action forward. Don't forget. Stage is part of ritual, and there's magic."

At three staged readings, audiences gave a major "thumbs up" to Wall Street Fandango, and 45 Bleecker committed to giving the play a run. But overnight and without warning, the theatre was forced to close, sending Fandango into production limbo.

But Morrow's not giving up on Wall Street Fandango. "I honestly believe it will make it to Broadway, and when it does, it will be a huge hit and play forever." Of course he would be delighted to meet with any Greek or other "angels" with a love of and instinct for good theatre!

Meanwhile The Theatre for the New City has commissioned him to direct a play by an L.A. writer, John Steppling, Dogmouth. "It's about hobos on trains, like Aryan nation guys – they're despicable but it's good writing. I always try to find the humor in the dramas I direct. If I see a production, and there's nothing to laugh about, I figure there's something wrong with it. Everything has humor in it. Hamlet has humor."

A veteran of the Off Off-Broadway arena, Morrow is dedicated to keeping modern classics alive, and founded The Great American Play Series. Morrow grew up in the Fort Hamilton section of Brooklyn. A graduate of the University of Buffalo, he began his theatre career at the Now Theatre Repertory Company in Buffalo.



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Please see our disclosures at the Wall Street Greek website and author bio pages found there. This article and website in no way offers or represents financial or investment advice. Information is provided for entertainment purposes only.

New York City Greek Film Festival of 2010

Fearless, Passionate & Original!

Wall Street Greek's Theatre & Film Columnist Penelope Karageorge leads off her foray into the blogosphere with her critical review of the fearless films and filmmakers of the New York City Greek Film Festival of 2010.

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New York City Greek Film Festival of 2010

This past year's New York City Greek Film Festival unreeled a dazzling array of new Greek films – audacious, controversial, entertaining, thought-provoking cinema with that special "Made in Greece" stamp. The best films from Greece refuse to play it safe. Greek auteurs are fearless, passionate, and original.

STRELLA - Strella takes us on the emotional journey of a transsexual and her father. An extraordinary film, it works on many levels: as tragedy, as comedy, as sheer entertainment, as a moving human drama. Writer/director Panos Koutras coaxed brilliant performances out of non-theatrical actors (A transsexual who looked like Maria Callas was not easy to cast). Mina Orfanou won the Hellenic Film Academy's Best Actress award for her unforgettable portrayal of Strella. Yannis Kokiasmenos was superb as the father, and Betty Vakalidou unforgettable as Mary, a surrogate mother. A gritty, close-up look at a fascinating subculture.

THE BUILDING MANAGER - A Greek family man suffers through a midlife crisis. He's caught between the devil (a sexy girl half his age whom he encounters in the Eden-like nursery where he goes to buy trees) and the deep blue sea (his mother) – and, of course, his wife. Hats off to the auteur Periklis Hoursoglou, who wrote, directed and starred in the film, with his real-life wife, Vangelio Andreadaiki playing his wife, and their two sons cast as sons in the film. An absorbing film - warm, human with an insightful take on contemporary Greek life.

PLATO'S ACADEMY - What's not to love about a gentle comedy featuring four Greek slackers who spend their time watching, and criticizing Albanian immigrants working around them? Antonis Kafetzopoulos gives a brilliant performance as Stavros, capturing all the nuances of this likeable loser. Separated from his wife, Stavros lives with his mother. When mama discovers a "lost" Albanian son, Stavros asks in dismay: could he be Albanian? This subtle, funny, ironic movie brings its point home: the new Greece has arrived. A delightful performance by Titika Sarigouli as the mother. Filippos Tsitos directed and co-wrote the film.

THE ISLAND - The Number One Top Grossing Film of the Year in Greece, it's another example of what Greeks do superbly: satire, lampooning themselves in the spirit of Aristophanes. Who killed the prominent citizen in the close-knit village? The police chief, the mayor, the priest, the sexy widow, the young son of the police chief who wants to design women's clothing? Everyone has a past and a delicious secret to hide. The performances are right-on in this fast-paced, well-written film directed by Christos Dimas. It's not always politically correct, occasionally tasteless, but extremely entertaining.

BLACK FIELD - Magnificent cinema- tography characterizes this unusual film written and directed by Vardis Marinakis. The year is 1654. A Janissary (a Greek recruited by force at a young age to serve in the Turkish army) turns up wounded at a remote cloister. A nun with a dark secret (she's actually a man) nurses him to health. The two flee into the woods together. Despite a muddled screenplay, the film's eroticism and scenery saves it. Won the Hellenic Film Academy's Award for Best Cinematography.

AMERICA, AMERICA - A work of art by the brilliant Greek-American Elia Kazan, the film chronicles his uncle's struggle to go from Anatolia to the USA. This was Kazan's personal favorite, and he put his heart and soul into the production. The cinematography is extraordinary, as are many of the performances including the lead played by Kazan discovery and Golden Globe Award winner Stathis Giallelis, taking the honors for "New Star of the Year" for his performance in the film. After the screening, the actor, who lives in New York, was interviewed by noted film critic Foster Hirsch. Giallelis offered a fascinating look at Kazan and the making of the film, including Kazan's obsession to get all the details right. Released in 1963, the film has been remastered and is available in DVD - a must for any Greek-American film lover.

DARK ODYSSEY - Set mostly in New York's Washington Heights in the 1950's, this Greek-American classic, written and directed by William Kyriakis and Radley Metzger, stars the remarkable Athan Karas. A Greek sailor jumps ship in New York and goes looking for the man who ruined his sister's life. But the sailor falls in love, goes to a party at a Greek home, and dances. Karas, who died last year, made an extraordinary contribution to Greek dance in America, and does an unforgettable dance on screen. Cineaste editor Dan Georgakas, director Metzger, and actor Lowell Byers, grandson of Karas, offered their insights on Dark Odyssey after the screening.

FOUR BLACK SUITS - A comedy written, directed and starring Renos Haralambidis, who also wrote the film score! Two down and out undertakers, an unsuccessful actor, and an ex-con try to turn their lives around. On the promise of a large fee, they carry out the dying wish of a Greek who lived abroad to carry his body, on foot, from Athens to his native village. We happen to love Haralambidis, so we'll go and see just about anything he does. Won the Audience Award at LA's Greek Film Festival.

DOGTOOTH - In this award-winning Greek drama from young director Yorgos Lanthimos, a husband and wife keep their children imprisoned in their house. The teenagers play weird games, learn a language devised by their parents to further cut them off from the world, and engage in bizarre, sexless sex. It's funny, offensive, tragic, and brilliant. The film played to a packed house at NYU'S Cantor Film Center, followed by a panel discussion with Dan Georgakas, Cineaste Editor; Vangelis Calotychos, professor, Columbia U., and psychologist Dr. Thomas Mallios.

COLOSSI OF LOVE - A documentary focusing on the Kamaki, the young suitors who perfected the art of seducing tourists in the '70's and 80's. To make this doc, director Nikos Mystriotis interviewed many of the Kamaki who waxed nostalgic about the time, the girls, the dancing, what they wore and the fun they had.

WITH HEART AND SOUL - Written and directed by Pandelia Voulgaris, this epic of the Greek Civil war focuses on two brothers who find themselves on opposite sides. Voulgaris, one of Greece's seminal film makers, dedicated the film to the thousands of victims who lost their lives on both sides of the conflict. Wonderful in so many ways, the film offers a great deal to admire – including Voulgaris's heart-rending depiction of young fighters who tease each other, kill each other, and even fall in love.

SUGARTOWN - Directed by Kimos Tsakiris, this important documentary takes an in-depth look at Zacharo (Sugartown) in the Western Peloponnese, almost destroyed in the fires of 2007. A total of 45 residents lost their lives, but the money provided to rebuild this community was lost or misused. The mayor behind much of the scandal blatantly tells almost all.

Three delightful shorts by Greek-American teenagers, winners in the No Limits 2010 competition co-sponsored by The National Herald and The New York City Film Festival, rounded out the festival: DE NADA: directed by Gracie Brett, 13; DON'T BE A LIAR, Mafia Stories Part II, directed by Dennis Latos, 18; and AROMA, directed by Michael Kontaxis, 16.



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Film & Theatre, by Karageorge

Penelope Karageorge

Columnist

Film & Theatre

A freelance journalist, Penelope Karageorge writes frequently about film and theatre. She is the author of a crime novel, Murder at Tomorrow (Walker Publishing), Stolen Moments (Pinnacle Press) and a poetry collection, Red Lipstick and the Wine-Dark Sea (Pella Publishing). Her short stories have been published in journals as diverse as Mouth Full of Bullets and The Charioteer. Penelope began her career as a Newsweek reporter, interviewing luminaries including Bette Davis and Cary Grant. She was publicity director of People magazine. She's currently developing her original film script, a romantic comedy set on the Greek island of Lemnos, Drinking the Sun.

"It is our great pleasure to welcome this accredited reporter to our family of columnists. Penelope, like so many of our writers, is someone we share coffee and commentary with regularly, and whose company we enjoy. We are absolutely thrilled to bring her critical film and theatre reviews to you, for the coloring of your cultural life."

Markos N. Kaminis

Penelope's Articles:

• Who Loves You, Baby? Evokes the Great Telly Savalas
• Opa Greek Cultural Cruise - Penelope's Diary
• The Greek Films of 2011 Reflect the Day's Greece
• Vassilakis: Cool Greek Jazz Artist
• Readers of Homer Thrills New York on its Epic Tour
• Dogtooth, Oscar Nominee for Best Foreign Film
• Wall Street Fandango
• New York City Greek Film Festival of 2010

Full Disclosure: Penelope has agreed to Wall Street Greek policy to avoid the authoring of articles about securities she personally owns or holds beneficial interest in. In the event of a special case, we expect Penelope will make full disclosure of ownership or beneficial interest, which is her responsibility. The work of contributors to Wall Street Greek is their own, and may not necessarily agree with the opinion of the site or its founder, and does not constitute financial advice. Please see our full disclosure at Wall Street Greek.

Article interests NYSE: DIS, NYSE: DWA, NYSE: CNK, NYSE: RGC, NYSE: RLD, NYSE: LGF, Nasdaq: RENT, Nasdaq: CKEC, Nasdaq: LSTZA, NYSE: MHP, NYSE: PSO, NYSE: JW-A, NYSE: JW-B, Nasdaq: SCHL, Nasdaq: CRRC, NYSE: NED, Nasdaq: PEDH, NYSE: BKS, Nasdaq: AMZN, Nasdaq: BAMM, NYSE: BGP, OTC: LYFE.OB, Nasdaq: NOOF, OTC: PUBM.OB, OTC: IFLM.OB, Nasdaq: PTSX, Nasdaq: SAPX, OTC: AFFW.OB, NYSE: TWX, Nasdaq: NWSA and Paris: VIV.PA.