Katerina Karra – Contemporary Greek Theatre: Trends, Challenges and Perspectives

Contemporary Greek Theatre: Trends, Challenges and Perspectives

The lecture offers an overview of contemporary Greek theatre from the late twentieth century to the present day, focusing on major aesthetic trends, important playwrights and directors, and the relationship between theatre and contemporary social realities. Emphasis will be placed on the impact of economic and political crises, documentary theatre, new performance practices, and the interaction between stage performance and other media. The lecture will also examine contemporary approaches to ancient Greek tragedy, exploring how classical texts are reinterpreted for modern audiences through innovative staging practices. Drawing on selected productions, the lecture will discuss the ways contemporary Greek theatre engages with questions of identity, memory, politics, and popular culture.

Katerina Karra is a faculty member in the Department of Theatre Studies at the University of Athens. Educated in Thessaloniki, Athens, and Berlin, she has lived and worked in Athens since 2000. In 2010, she received her PhD with distinction in Greek theatre history from the University of Thessaloniki. During her studies, she was awarded several state scholarships. She subsequently worked as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Patras. She has published extensively on twentieth-century Greek theatre history, theatre and other media, and research methods in theatre history. Her current research focuses on comedy and popular entertainment.