Greek Theatre Group wins First Prize at the International Short+Sweet Festival in Dubai

Dubai, UAE, April 6, 2016:  Thespis Greek Theatre took part in the finals of the Short+Sweet Festival 2016 in Dubai on Friday 11/3 and won the first prize of the people’s choice. The Festival started off with eighty plays while only eleven reached the finals including the Greek theatre play GREEK CIVIL (OUT OF) SERVICE. The 450-seat Madinat Theatre was fully packed and the audience chose the Greek play as its #1 choice regardless the language barrier. It is the first time a play is performed in Greek at this international Festival and thus Thespis Greek Theatre reminded the world of the origin of theatre from Greece. The play was written and directed by Constance Kratsa.

Short+Sweet is the largest festival of short plays in the world and it has presence in more than 30 cities around the world, where all plays are strictly 10 minutes.

Thespis Greek Theatre is an amateur non-profit theatrical group that is composed of Greeks living and working in Dubai, who love theatre and the rich Greek culture. Its members are the ambassadors of the Greek theatre in the Middle East transmitting an art that was born in Greece.

The group of actors consists of Anargiri Garavelas, Vasilis Piperias, Athena Simeonidou, Christos Mamas and Maria Tsekou. The performance is also supported on stage by Karolina Athanasopoulou, Harris Padouvas and Christina Demiri as well as behind the scenes by Evita Douropoulou and Christina Papachristou.

The topic of GREEK CIVIL (OUT OF) SERVICE is very familiar to all of us: the public sector and the challenges when dealing with it. The festival had an international flair and the Greek play competed against other plays that were in English, Hindi and Arabic. It emerged that the problems people face with the public sector are common in many countries and the body language was sufficient for the international audience to understand the Greek play. The finals that took place at the spectacular Madinat Theatre started with a red carpet reception that reminded of theatrical Oscars. The Greek team was dressed in creations from the last collection of the Dubai-based Greek designer Myrto Dramountani. The Ambassador of Greece in the United Arab Emirates Mr. Diosysis Zois, was also present at this event.

Thespis Theatre Greek in the summer of 2014 performed two shows for the Greek community and raised €25000 for the work of Emfasis Foundation for the homeless in Athens. It is a group of amateur actors where most have attended acting classes and have played in performances in the past. Their common passion is the theatre to devote part of their free time.