- The first disabled Greek actor who studied in a School of Drama in Greece demanding the right of acting studies for all at a time where a relic of an old legislation (which was finally abolished in 2017 due to a new law) was practically a forbidding one for disabled people concerning their potential perspectives as actors. After a renowned course as one of the best Greek actors and directors of his generation, he founded THEAMA in 2010, the first and internationally acclaimed Greek inclusive theatre company consisted of disabled actors in its main composition (such as Christina Toumba, Giorgos Iliakis, Maria Mourelatou and himself) as well as by non-disabled ones (such as Michalis Tamboukas and Efi Toumba). In September 2013, he represented THEAMA at the International Festival "Pro-Teatr" in Moscow, where he conducted the acting masterclass "Space and Time in Ancient Greek Tragedy", and in the Scientific Conference on the subject "Sociality-Creating Function of Art and Problems of Sociocultural Rehabilitation", which followed in October, he was guest of honor - speaker with his lecture on the reconstruction of teaching for disabled thespians, entitled: "Opsis: The interpretation of the term from antiquity to contemporary theatrical reality". In 2014, THEAMA staged in Athens Edward Albee's first one-act play "The Zoo Story", with Michalis Tamboukas as Jerry. The park bench -where Peter meets Jerry- was theatrically 'transcribed' in the wheelchair used by Panos Zournatzidis, the excellent actor who played Peter, and the production was noted as a critically acclaimed performance, brilliantly directed by Vasilis Oikonomou. After the performances in Athens, the production continued on tour in other cities of Greece with a fine cast which also included Christina Toumba, Giorgos Iliakis, Maria Mourelatou, Efi Toumba, Aimiliani Avraam, Marina Besiri and himself in roles of persons that come from Jerry's narration, and in their way of existing in his state of being, they get life on stage, some of them in animal figures. The documentary THE.AM.A. (2014), directed by Eliana Perifanou and Maria Sidiropoulou, was filmed mainly during the rehearsals and the performance of "The Zoo Story", depicting the work of this exquisite theatre group. On the occasion of World Theatre Day (WTD) March 27, the documentary was broadcast that day in 2015 by the Greek TV network of Public Television.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Markos
- Greek is his native language. Also fluent in English and French.
- In 2015 he directed Eugène Ionesco's "Jack or Submission" (Jacques ou la Soumission), which was staged by THEAMA in Athens and on tour in other cities of Greece. The fine cast of this acclaimed production included Aimiliani Avraam as Jack, Panos Zournatzidis as Roberta, Efi Toumba as Mother Jack, Michalis Grammatas as Jacqueline, Manos Triantafillakis as Father Jack, Michalis Tamboukas as Father Robert, Giorgos Iliakis as Grandfather Jack, Mary Stamatoula as Grandmother Jack and Maria Mourelatou together with Katerina Kontomarkou as Mother Robert. Panos Zournatzidis was also the Assistant Director of the production and Marina Besiri also participated in alternate cast for the role of Grandmother Jack.
- In 2016 he translated and directed Aeschylus' "The Persians", where he also played remarkably the role of Xerxes in the acclaimed production of THEAMA, which was first presented at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in the New Stage Nikos Kourkoulos of the National Theatre of Greece. Next it was also presented on tour in other Festivals and cities of Greece and it was welcomed as a significant artistic event of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, praised by critics and audiences who considered it even as the best production of "The Persians" they had ever seen. The role of Darius's widow and Xerxes's mother Atossa was played by two thespians together on stage: Christina Toumba, from her wheelchair, delivered the Queen's words and the deaf actress Christina Tsavli incarnated her physical presence. Darius was portrayed by Panos Zournatzidis, the Messenger by Michalis Tamboukas and Yiota Vei was the Chorus Leader. Chorus was consisted by Aimiliani Avraam (Leader II), Marina Besiri, Michalis Grammatas, Giorgos Iliakis, Marina Stamati, Mary Stamatoula and Efi Toumba. "The Persians" (472 BC) is Aeschylus' first saved play and thus more ancient one, and a fundamental stone for the art of theatre. The play is also the only one of the ancient Greek dramaturgy with a plot inspired not by myths which were also serving on stage as a reference to contemporary social and political events and issues like the other plays that eventually remained to the later generations, but it is immediately related with the historical events of the aftermaths that followed the Battle of Salamis, where Aeschylus fought in 480 BC. A significant factor of Aeschylus' legacy in the "The Persians" is the fact that he wrote about the victory of his fellow-citizens Athenians through the tragedy of their opponents, the Persians, caused by the loss of innumerable men due to the defeat of their army, which was led by Xerxes for the conquest of Greece. Here Aeschylus pointed out the only value of life, which is based on the humility and love that people share the one with the other in opposition to the hubris of the arrogance of power (such as the one of Xerxes) which can lead to a megalomania that devastates lands and ruins lives. Through this narration of the story, Aeschylus spoke about everything concerning human relations and life as it was also later developed by other playwrights and above all Shakespeare in many ways, setting thus the very substance of theatre that has much to do with the realization and sense of one's place through the understanding of the position of others.
- In 2017 he played in the play "Blindfold: The Night of the Hunt", written and directed by Sofia Stavrakaki who also played in it. The brilliant cast also included Hannah El Haj Omar and Konstantinos Loukas in a critically acclaimed production of THEAMA, which premiered in English at the Brighton Fringe Festival.
- In 2018 (January - April) he directed brilliantly Jean-Paul Sartre's play "Nekrassov", translated by Elina Daraklitsa and presented for the first time in Greece at the "Apo Michanis Theatro" (i.e. Ex Machina Theatre) in Athens, in a critically praised production by THEAMA, where he also received kudos on his marvelous performance in the leading role of Georges De Valera together with Michalis Tamboukas as Inspector Goblet, Panos Zournatzidis as Jules Palotin and Katerina Kontomarkou as Demidoff. The fine cast also included Manos Triantafillakis (Beggar Robert, Sibilot), Aimiliani Avraam (Beggar Irma, Peruvian Mayor's Interpreter, Nerciat), Konstantinos Loukas and Hannah El Haj Omar as Police Officers, Angeliki Nomikou (Palotin's Secretary), Christina Toumba (Tavernier), Efi Toumba (Périgord), Maria Mourelatou (Peruvian Mayor), Andreas Zikoulis (Mouton), Elie Driva (Veronique), Evangelia Schina (Mrs. Bounoumi), Stavros Zafeiris (Baudouin and Chapuis) and Marina Besiri (Party Guest) in excellent performances. This acclaimed stage production was also the first Greek one accessible to persons with sensory disabilities with SDH surtitles both in Greek and English, Greek Sign Language interpretation and audio description. The sublime music of the show was composed by Elias Kourtparasidis. The process of the production was also depicted in the documentary film project Enas allos... Sartre (2018).
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