Άνθρωπος Ανεμιστήρας ή Πως να ντύσετε έναν Ελέφαντα

All the moments that structure the narrative of the performance are inspired by the real stories of the people who represent them. Everyday life, through songs, poems and images is presented in a poetic way. This way becomes the bridge to tell the untold. The theatrical form is mixed with documentary elements and the characters introduce themselves by their real names, trying to answer the crucial question "who am I really?".

Through the journey towards the performance, the members of the group were given the common ground to create from the beginning a new language of communication, a language that will push the viewer to distance himself from his prejudices and stereotypes, to think about the points that unite him with the "other" and to forget for a while what separates him. The final composition is not a pre-existing theatrical dramaturgy but came from the members of the group, who composed a dramaturgically and aesthetically complete performance, always based on the potential of all the actors - so as to motivate each individual for "more" and at the same time not to exclude them from the group.

The integrated cooperation of members with potential and young peers reveals the power of the whole to overcome obstacles and harmoniously integrate every different aspect of human nature.

THEATRICAL GROUP "In Potential"

"Potential" is an independent group of individual young people, volunteers of the same age, parents and friends. It was founded by Eleni Demopoulou and Maria Ioannidou in 2008 to support and facilitate its members' equal integration into society. The creative group "En δυνάμει" organizes, develops and promotes mixed artistic, cultural, social and educational activities, gives a platform to creative people, supports open access to art and enhances the willingness to participate, contribute and collaborate.
The desire of the theatre ensemble "En δυνάμει" is to contribute to an Art (in this case theatre) that seeks to break with the traditional perception of the commonly accepted, an Art that consciously departs from the conventional forms of understanding social life. The group, under the artistic direction of Eleni Demopoulou, has been operating since 2011, having so far presented the works "Morning Star" by Yannis Ritsos (2011), "I thought you were a stranger" (testimonies of refugees and excerpts of theatrical and literary texts, 2013), "The Kyrani of the Forest" by Fotini Fragoulis (2013). Apart from Thessaloniki, the group's performances have been presented in Athens, Istanbul and Chalkidiki.

The performance "The human fan or how to dress an elephant" came out of the suffocating need of the members of the En Potential group to openly share their personal stories through the prism of an artistic event.

Credits
Direction-Music: Eleni Efthymiou
Props-Costumes: Elizabeth Antipasi
Lighting by Richard Anthony
Video: Dimitris Zahos
Production Organization - Assistant Director: Eleni Demopoulou

Play: Cleo Antonopoulou, Vasso Asikoglou, Maria Dakhlythra, Eleftheria Drakulidou, Margarita Kaynadas, Dimitris Kalaganis, Kimon Kalaganis, Anna Kalintseva, Anastasia Kariophyllis, Evangelina Kariophyllis, Maria Koltsida, Vangelis Kosmidis, Yota Kuitzoglou, Nikos Kyparissis, Parmenion Kyriakoulis, Efterpi Kostas, Alexandra Lucas, Dimitris Mexis, Angeliki Mousiou, Thanos Nanasis, Michalis Dolopoulos.
The performance includes texts by Xavier Dyrénge, Nikiforos Vrettakos, Tellos Filis

Municipal Theatre of Kalamaria Melina Mercouri
7-9 Metamorfoseos Street & Argyroupoleos Street, Thessaloniki

14, 15, 16 February 2014
Friday and Sunday at 21:00 and Saturday at 19:00 & 21:00

Strange - Special.
"Specially" capable - Incapable.
Curious - Uncomfortable.
Unacceptable - Specific.
Unadaptable - Trainable.
Underachievement - Diversity.
Known story - Untold story.

Photos

Type - Reviews

By Marina Kontou - What you pretend not to see

"..." A theatrical performance in Thessaloniki, for people fans that repel with their aesthetic and sonic noise and attract only some opportunistic heatstroke sufferers seeking their coolness and for elephants that some people insist on dressing in alien costumes, sharpens the dull words of sedentarism and puts under the spotlight all those stories of the invisible other, the different. "..."

- See more http://www.elculture.gr/elcblog/article/auto-pou-kaneis-oti-de-blepeis-798599#sthash.1fz0tEnU.dpuf

By Thoulis Misiroglou - The miracle of the real meeting

"..." Although based on a series of everyday, "special" stories about disability, diversity and the people around it - as well as seemingly susceptible to maudlin sentimentality - the show is fully integrated into the realm of art. With wonderful direction, excellent dramatic and human language (composed on the basis of the experiences of the members of the group themselves), amazing young and practicing actors: with them you are constantly swinging between all the emotions of a reality where the simplest thing becomes complex, repetitive, funny, tragic or often incomprehensible or, on the other hand, the most complex, shocking event can become everyday. "..."
-See more http://www.exostispress.gr/Article/to-thaima-tis-pragmatikis-sinantisis-0#ixzz2vdImg9q5

Mich. Γ. Bakogiannis, Lecturer, Department of Philology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki / Man is a fan

"..." What I saw was shocking. A group of young kids, with the natural talent of youthful drive and a thirst for expression in their every move. I felt as if they were all taking me by the hand, each one individually, and effortlessly removing me from my life. I felt as if they were showing me their own lives, trusting me with what makes them not different but special and asking me to share with them the honesty of their feelings and the authenticity of their voice and speech. the sight of this was something I experienced. I did not see it. I experienced it. Thank you.

-See more http://blogs.auth.gr/mixalisb/

Katerina Tzioridou / We were deeply moved by the performance The human fan or how to dress an elephant

"..." The artistic result of this effort is distinguished by excellent aesthetics in the light of the coexistence in a theatrical autobiographical event of people with and without disabilities. We want above all to dwell on what was sparked within us. The performance left us moved by the power that deceived our eyes, ears and hearts. "..."

http://www.kulturosupa.gr/index.php/theatromania/anemistiras-gnomi-2456/#.UwimimfNt9A

Victor Ardittis, Director - university professor/How theatre can become a direct act of life

I've been thinking for days now that the show The Fan Man or How to Dress an Elephant is one of the most interesting things I've seen in the theater lately. One of the most intelligent and one of the most moving. On stage, people with intellectual disabilities and special skills side by side, in incredible synergy, exchange and understanding with volunteers from the dynamic group "Potential". In a kaleidoscopic 'musical' synthesis of incidents that brings to light the difficulties of life, but also an almost scandalous joy for life. Eleni Efthymiou's success is that from 'trouble' she has created theatre of the unexpected, theatre that is contemporary and lively, not at all didactic and highly enjoyable. With music, dance, singing, projections and often ironic speech.

As much as the team can, they need to show it and show it again.

Selected comments

Sophia Efthichiadou, theatrologist

Just a short while ago I left the hall of the Municipal Theatre of Kalamaria, having experienced one of my most important theatrical experiences. The performance "The human fan or how to dress an elephant" by the group "en δυνάμει" directed by Eleni Efthymiou, perhaps the most charismatic director of our new generation, is a shocking artistic event, a breakthrough in Greek theatre. The show should travel to very important festivals abroad, it deserves it! Credit to ALL and especially to the soul of this work, Eleni Demopoulou. The theatrical heart seems to emanate from Salonika in 2014!

Maria Patsidou–Iliadou, Counselor of special education

Otherness touched the hardest aspects of the human dimension and gave the best lesson that even the most excellent school of today's reality cannot compete with! You made the best lesson that none of us should miss! Congratulations to all the children and I wish you all always so dynamic and continue your unprecedented actions!

John Ergentzis, Colibri, branding & design

a performance with a five-minute applause at the finale where you kept on making noise by slapping your palms, even when your hands hurt. And all for the tornado you felt inside and the fact that you walked out of the room a different person. Magic. Yes, people are sometimes magic.

Lia Michaelidis

Greatness! You go in as a wild animal and you come out as a man.

Eleni Giannousi, actress, director

A simple affirmation to Art was all and all, the great Art, that is, life itself. A smile to Man. For his difference, for his virtues and his crookedness, for his pain and humor, for his own loneliness. A simple "yes" to misunderstood humanity, to laughter and tears, to effortlessness.But the group "in potential" did not stop at easy. The excellent direction and the final dramatic material never for a moment left the viewer's anger struggling alone. It constantly agitated his thoughts; the spongy mind, trying to persistently absorb what was happening, whatever truth he could bear to take in. For there was a lot of truth in the performance, and truth, as we all know, hurts.

Elias Papadopoulos, actorς

Truly a top performance, from now on undoubtedly a benchmark for all the next shows I'm going to see.

Tributes, interviews: