The Theater-Historical Context and the Turn to New Greek Theater

Abstract

Abstract This book’s first chapter explains the theater-historical context in which productions of ancient drama were revived but also sidelined by foreign plays (in translation) and by modern Greek plays representative of the New Greek Theater. This theater espoused the global concern with Theater of the Absurd and with Bertolt Brecht’s dramaturgy, theories, and methods. Brechtian theater, especially, responded well to Greek youth’s interest in dissident voices, radical action repertoires, and countercultural spaces. It was embraced by the members of the most noteworthy new theater launch: the Free Theater. This chapter builds links forward and backward in time, which is essential to further situate the early 1970s wave of new Greek plays: the established practice of performing and reperforming ancient drama and especially classical tragedy suffered a setback for being perceived as a hallmark of the long tradition of right-wing authoritarianism that had led to the coup of April 21, 1967