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“THE WOMAN IN BLACK”
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Greek Play | The Woman In Black by Playwright Stephen Mallatratt | Greek Theater Entertainment | Theater Meli in Athens Greece |
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Stephen Mallatratt:
“THE WOMAN IN BLACK”
Based on the novel by
Susan Hill |
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Interpretation:
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Elena AKRITA
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Artistic Director:
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Danis KATRANIDIS
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Set Designer:
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Giorgos PATSAS
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Costume Designer:
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Tota PRITSA
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Lighting Director:
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Melina MASCHA
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Cast:
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Danis KATRANIDIS – Giorgos KENDROS
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Two men - Arthur Kipps and the Actor - are searching to find the truth about a woman - the woman in black. This is a story that holds the audience in suspense till the end. Arthur Kipps had a blood-curdling experience which marked his life. He survived that and wrote a book on his experience. Aiming at breaking free from this nightmare haunting him, he finds himself in need to narrate the book to people who are close to him. In order to be able to stand in front of his audience, interpret the events and break free from his nightmare, Kipps hires a professional actor to teach him how to do it.
Stephan Mallattrat’s play starts off with the first acting lesson. The two actors bring Arthur Kipps’s past into life again and narrate a true yet dramatic story, triggering the audience’s imagination.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK has been played in England for 20 years, with great success, first in Scarborough and then in West End. Mallattrat’s faithful transfer of the book uses many of the descriptions and dialogues from Susan Hill’s novel, achieving its exciting adaptation.
The plot of the play isn’t a horror story, although the events escalate to a horrific climax and infuse a feeling of terror. The play is based on atmosphere, an intense feeling of space, hints, quick glances, and insinuations, on what is in the shadows or can only be heard, and often on what we cannot tell is fantasy or reality, chilling the audience’s blood to the bone and putting lonely people with sensitive hearts in danger.
This play proves once again the magic of theater as it uses a valuable feature; the triggering and participation of the audience and actor’s imagination, making this story even more exciting. Actually, due to this special feature of the play, the audience is always requested not to reveal the end of the story.
Danis Katranidis first staged “THE WOMAN IN BLACK” in cooperation with another great actor, Alekos Alexandrakis. The play was on for two years (1992-93 & 1993-94) at the Mousouri Theater and the Porta Theater respectively and was a huge success.
Over the years, when the success of that play had faded, Katranidis desired to come face to face again with that part, also undertaking the demanding task of the artistic director. This play has indeed haunted his career and has plenty more to convey to the audience. When he cooperated Giorgos Kendros at the staging of “The Talking Cure” sharing the parts of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, respectively, he brought up his desire to stage the play once again.
The lighting and audio effects, as well as the entire staging are highly important for the play and have been made according to the English production standards, since they have been studied and ameliorated throughout these 20 years of staging. It is worth visiting the English production website to realize and feel the amazing atmosphere prevailing in this play. “Screams and sounds break the silence in the night, as two men are searching for the truth about a woman”.
The set designed by Giorgos Patsas and the costumes by Tota Pritsa contribute to the dramatic effect and make the setting arouse the imagination of the audience.
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