DIPETHE Rumelis will present a modern theatrical adaptation of Euripides' ancient tragedy Ion at the Open Theatre of Kolonos on Friday, September 11.
The production, adapted by writer Minas Vintiadis and directed by Roubini Moschochoriti, is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. at the open-air venue located on Hippios Kolonos Hill in Athens.
Euripides' Ion is recognized as one of the most complex and ambiguous works by the ancient Greek tragedian. Although categorized as a tragedy, the play combines tragicomic elements, unheroic characters, and romantic adventure, set against the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.
The Plot of Ion
The narrative centers on Creusa, who becomes pregnant by the god Apollo and gives birth to a son. Fearing social outcry, she abandons the infant.
The god Hermes carries the child to Delphi so that he may grow up to serve the priestess Pythia at Apollo's temple. Creusa later marries Xuthus, but when the couple is unable to have children, they travel to Delphi to seek an oracle.
At Delphi, Apollo informs Xuthus that Ion is his son. Xuthus decides to take the young man with him to Athens. Angry and unaware that Ion is her lost child, Creusa attempts to murder him. The plot fails, bringing the story to a happy conclusion.
Modern Adaptation for Three Actors
Playwright Minas Vintiadis noted that Euripides did not depict his heroes as superhuman like Aeschylus or ideal like Sophocles. Instead, Vintiadis said, Euripides places his characters into human misery to reach the depths of human nature and explore its dark passions.
Vintiadis said this new adaptation features three actors performing four roles, with Creusa, Ion, and Hermes and Xuthus in a double role. He said these four characters deliver the core message of Euripides through a performance filled with constant plot twists and games of fate.
Director Roubini Moschochoriti noted that her staging symbolically illuminates the emotional journeys of the characters from ignorance to knowledge and from deception to catharsis.
Staging and Ticket Details
Moschochoriti said these dualities signal an internal journey of self-exploration driven by a human need to discover one's roots and ancestors. She added that knowledge allows the characters to make choices, shaping their future and challenging divine morality.
She said the production integrates tragic, romantic, and comic elements along with emotional twists, misunderstandings, and intrigue into both the acting and the visual scenography.
The cast features actors Evgenia Dimitropoulou, Giannis Englezos, and Maximos Moumouris. Original music for the performance was composed by Kostas Nikolopoulos, with photography by Petros Makris.
General admission tickets for the performance at the Open Theatre of Kolonos, located at Ioanninon and Kapaneos streets, cost 5 euros. Advance tickets are available online through ticketservices.gr.
