An Appreciation of Evyenios Spatharis, 1924–2009

Abstract

The following text is intended as a tribute to Evyenios Spatharis. He was one of the most important figures of the Greek théatro skión or 'shadow theatre'. While in Europe a form of shadow play called galanty enjoyed popularity in the nineteenth century, the Greek shadow theatre has followed a very distinct tradition. Greeks often argue that the original idea of a shadow play emerged from Plato's analogy of the cave (those inside viewing others at the entrance as silhouettes). However, the roots of the modern shadow theatre derive undoubtedly from Asia. It was from China, India, and Indonesia that the Turks borrowed their Karagöz, who in turn was borrowed by the Greeks as Karagiózis. There is indeed a great similarity between the Turkish and Greek 'figures' (a more exact term than 'puppets', since they are twodimensional). Moroever, early karagiozopéhtes (Greek shadow 'puppeteers') relied heavily on common stock plays and performed practically a Greeklanguage version of the Turkish Karagöz.By the late nineteenth century the Greek Karagiózis had already evolved as a disctinct art form. Masters like Mimaros, and later Mollas, had pioneered to give Karagiózis a Greek identity with his own different form, in addition to creating new stock characters and an extended repertoire. Evye nios Spatharis continued this transformation. In the appraisal that follows, the rich contribution of Spatharis is recorded, particularly in relation to the significant innovations he brought to the karagiózis shadow theatre.