Christos Frangos, a Greek actor whose career spanned decades of theatre, television and educational drama, died on September 9 at the age of 90. His funeral is due to take place today, Monday, at 6pm in Spata, the Attica town where he was born.
Frangos trained at the Drama School of the National Theatre of Greece, studying under some of the most respected figures in Greek theatre, including Alexis Minotis, Dimitris Rondiris, Thanos Kotsopoulos and Eleni Chalkousi, according to a tribute posted by Spyros Bimbilas. The National Theatre's drama school has long been the country's leading training ground for stage actors, and Minotis and Rondiris in particular were central figures in reviving ancient Greek tragedy for modern audiences during the 20th century.
Early years on stage
Frangos made his theatrical debut in 1964 with Dimitris Myrat's troupe in the production "When the Atreides" at the Kotopouli Theatre. The following year he spent a season with Dimitris Rondiris's Peiraiko Theatro, or Piraeus Theatre, and toured with his troupe across Europe and Latin America.
In the summers of 1966 and 1967, running into September, he worked with Anna Synodinou's troupe, Elliniki Skini, touring Volos and Thessaloniki in productions of ancient drama, a genre in which he became known for standing out.
Marriage and the Theatro Vergi
The winter of 1967 marked a turning point in his life. He met the acclaimed actress and troupe leader Elsa Vergi and began working with her company, the Theatro Vergi. He signed a contract for a series of European performances titled "Forms of Ancient Drama," drawing on works by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.
He returned to the Peiraiko Theatro in April 1968 and worked again with the Theatro Vergi in April 1969. That May he signed with Kostis Michailidis's troupe for a production of "Iphigenia in Aulis" staged within Greece, and by the winter of 1969 he was working with Nikos Hatzikos's troupe at the Theatro Kava.
His relationship with Vergi grew into a marriage built, as the tribute described it, on a shared and deeply felt passion for theatre and acting. The couple stayed together until Vergi's death in 1989, and for decades Frangos served alongside her as co-director of the Theatro Vergi. Vergi was one of the most recognised actresses and theatre managers in Greece, and the company they ran together became a fixture of the Greek stage.
Television roles
Beyond the stage, Frangos became a familiar face to Greek television audiences through appearances in a string of popular series, including "To Ouranio Toxo" ("The Rainbow"), "To Galazio Diamanti" ("The Blue Diamond"), "I Exafanisi tou Tzon Avlakioti" ("The Disappearance of John Avlakiotis"), "I Apodrasi" ("The Escape") and "I Oikogeneia" ("The Family").
Educational theatre and legacy
Frangos also devoted part of his career to educational theatre. From 1996 he worked for several years with Anna Synodinou on performances offered free of charge to school students, part of a broader effort throughout his career to bring younger generations closer to the art of theatre.
His funeral will be held this evening at 6pm in Spata, the town where he was born on July 10, 1936.
