Moliere’s explosive comedy “The Imaginary Patient” is being directed and adapted this summer by Emilios Chilakis and Manolis Dounias.
After “Don Juan” in 2009 at the National Theater and “Tartufo” in 2016, they continue their study on the leading French dramatist, who, always through the prism of comedy, illuminated the darkness of the human soul, understood the human psychosynthesis and created characters with universal reach and works that remain relevant to this day. On Friday, August 2 at 9 pm, the performance will be presented at the “Georgios Pappas” outdoor theater in Aigio.
With “The Imaginary Patient” Moliere takes aim at the charlatans and quacks who plague the medical profession. He satirizes the “experts” of his time who hid behind pompous phrases and fancy terminology in an effort to camouflage their inadequacy of knowledge and the fact that they put profit and self-interest above the Hippocratic Oath. Moliere – as one of the most brilliant revolutionary spirits of his time – not only stays there, but also makes a political comment by denouncing all forms of authority and strongly criticizing French society and its ills. In a light but caustic way, he takes issue with all kinds of authorities who, blinded by arrogance and having conquered privileges and power, demean and oppress the common citizen.
In a tragic irony, “The Imaginary Patient” was his swan song. In 1673, shortly after the fourth performance of the play in which he starred, Moliere – ill and betrayed by the doctors – died backstage. The show, which will be presented in major theaters in Athens and will tour throughout Greece, is the ninth co-directing of Emilios Cheilakis and Manolis Dounias after the extremely successful performances “Medea”, “Don’t let this happen to you”, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” , “Othello”, “Antigone”, “Iphigenia”, “Tartufus” and “Alone with Hamlet”.
The play
Under Moliere’s comic microscope comes an aristocrat, Argan, who lives a comfortable life amidst wealth and privilege. He considers himself the center of the world and oppresses those around him by demanding that they serve his quirks and whims. Despite all this, Argan himself suffers as he feels that something is his fault. Terribly hypochondriacal and sickophobic, he is convinced that his problem is his very shaky health. That is why he has called all the doctors to find him a cure. But in vain. The doctors – and all kinds of charlatans – try all the tried and tested treatments on him in order to relieve him of his “unknown” disease, while at the same time they relieve him of huge sums of money as a fee. As he sees that the “scientists” are trying to take advantage of him, he decides to marry his daughter, Angeliki, to a doctor in order to get free medical care, not caring if she is in love with Cleanthes.
When Angeliki reacts, Argan, at the prompting of his second wife Belina, informs her that her only alternative is to shut herself up in a monastery. Those who undertake to carry him are his maid Tuaneta and his brother Veraldos. They convince him to pretend to be dead so he can find out who is taking advantage of him and who cares about him, who is plotting against him and who really loves him.
But is Argan really a patient? And if so, is he suffering from a disease that medicine can cure? Or is he an insecure, scared person who, despite having everything, tries to find out what is wrong with him and is not happy, and under the pretext of his failing health, he struggles to arouse the interest of those around him and make sure that they care about him? And isn’t Moliere’s Argan not very different from the modern man who is not satisfied with anything and although he lives a comfortable family life, he finally realizes that his deepest and most important need is to be loved.
COEFFICIENTS
Direction – Adaptation: Emilios Cheilakis – Manolis Dounias
Free performance: Manolis Dounias
Scenes: Giorgos Gavalas
Costumes: Alexia Theodorakis
Music: Thodoris Oikonomou
Lighting: Nikos Vlasopoulos
Motion: Elena Gerodimou
Assistant directors: Thanos Hatzopoulos
Graphic design: Dimitris Gelbouras @frobidden.designs
Social Media: Renegade Media
Production: Technichoros
STARRING: Emilios Chilakis, Athena Maximou, Myrto Alikakis, Thodoris Romanidis, Nikos Gelia, Panagiotis Gavrelas, Vicky Diamantopoulou, George Zygouris, Dimitris Filippidis.
“According to an Imaginary Patient”
Open Air Theater “Georgios Pappas” – Aegio
Friday, August 2
Start time: 21:00
Duration: 1:45′
Ticket prices
General admission: 22 euros
Reduced: 20 euros (Disabled, Unemployed, Students, Over 65)
Pre-sale points: “Sychroni Skepsi” bookstore (Kleomenus Oikonomou 7, Aigio), “Rezerva Accessories and cosmetics” store (Mitropoleos 64, Aigio), Studio ANGELOS-KAZASSIS (Kl. Oikonomou 19) and online at www.more.com.
In the context of the “Cultural Summer 2024” events of the Municipality of Aegialia and the Deputy Mayor of Culture and Sports.
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