DON JOSÉ
Dimitris Paksoglou

ESCAMILLO/MORALLÈS
Dionyssis Tsantinis

ZUNIGA/LE DANCAÏRE
Costas Mavrogenis

CARMEN
Marissia Papalexiou

MICAËLA/FRASQUITA
Αntonia Kalogirou

MERCÉDÈS
Vicky Tsiliakou

Act I / At a café in a square of Seville, soldiers comment leisurely on the passers-by while waiting for Carmen who works nearby to show up. Eventually, Carmen comes and almost threatens her admirers by singing a song about the fickle nature of love. Reacting to Zuniga's persistent flirt, she takes refuge to Don José by kissing him in a provocative manner and throwing him a flower. Although Don José seems to be annoyed, he keeps the flower. Carmen and Mercédès return to work. Micaëla enters the stage and gives José a kiss and a letter from his mother. In the letter his mother designates Micaëla as a suitable wife for him. Voices are heard, Carmen and Zuniga enter the stage again, but this time in dispute. Carmen keeps a suspicious object in her bag, but she won't give any explanations. Zuniga asks Don José to lead her to prison. Once they are left alone, Carmen charms the officer and in exchange of liberating her she pledges her love to him. Don José helps her escape.

Act II / In a bar. Carmen and Mercédès work night shift. Escamillo, the famous toreador, arrives. Carmen seems to be disinterested, but she lets him hope. Don José arrives and Carmen joyously dances for his sake. When he explains to her that duty calls him and has to leave, Carmen is outraged; she remains unmoved both at the view of the flower of their first encounter and by his marriage proposal. As she explains, if he loves her, he must leave her and make a fresh start someplace else. The lieutenant of the guards (Zuniga) returns hoping to find Carmen alone. Don José, jealous of Zuniga, attacks him. Now he has no other choice but to follow Carmen.

Act III / In a deserted place where Carmen and Don José have taken refuge. Micaëla comes dispirited only to inform Don José that his mother is dying. When she perceives that someone is following her, she hides. The person following her is Escamillo who has come to claim Carmen. Don José is furious and challenges him in a duel. At this point Carmen interrupts them and Escamillo invites everyone to his next bullfighting. Micaëla turns up informing Don José that his mother is on her death bed. He threatens Carmen and follows the girl. Carmen is mesmerised by Escamillo and follows his voice.

Act IV / In Escamillo's dressing room. Carmen helps him in his preparations for the arena. Escamillo bids her a warm goodbye and enters the arena. Carmen is left alone and watches the bullfighting on a monitor. Don José rushes in and insists on her following him. She openly tells him that she does not love him and that she would rather die than losing her freedom. Through the arena she can hear the cheering crowd and she is about to dash and take a taste of Escamillo's triumph, but Don José stands in her way. She gives him back the ring he had given her as a token of his love and kills her the very moment the bull strikes a deadly blow at Escamillo.

Director's note / Although today Carmen is synonymous with Spain, nobody remembers that its composer had never visited the Iberian Peninsula before composing this work that was to reserve him a place amongst the most celebrated opera composers. In the abridged version of the work we prepared for the Suitcase Opera, our aim was to narrate the story from a different angle with regard to Spain and its particular character. We kept intact the opera's dramatic core in which the dynamic rapport that develops among the main characters is skilfully outlined through music and dramatic performance. However, the grand spectacle and the vivid, crowded scenes were left out. In essence, every abridged version is a new creation. Consequently, our intent was to place our own Carmen in the Spain of the 1990s, in Seville; a city whose history is always evident and where the past encounters the present, and both engage in a discourse with daily life.
Almodovar's films are our focal point of reference as far the aesthetics are concerned. Through his cinematography we saw Spain from a different viewpoint and we became familiarised with the country, perhaps more than Bizet was in his time. Our version presents two different worlds that meet and eventually come into conflict: on the one hand we see the conservative, Catholic and provincial Spain (especially Southern Spain); on the other hand there is the emancipated Spain and its big cities of the post-Franco era, the way it is depicted in Almodovar's films. The gypsy element was consciously omitted from our narration because in the past it bore different connotations from today and especially because in the original text it is used as an explanation for the deviant nature of Carmen and her comrades. Our decision to dispense with this outdated pseudo-exotic element did not emerge from the need to be politically correct, but rather from our choice to be more loyal to the spirit of the work and our decision to depict Carmen as a contemporary woman who is trying to survive by working day and night. She is a woman who knows the nitty-gritty of the world both under the bright light of day and in the darkness of night, making her a lot more experienced than Don José who grew up in a safe bourgeois environment. Carmen does not aspire to have a family and children; she knows that her desires would cost her dearly. However, she had never imagined the price would be so high…

DON JOSÉ
Dimitris Paksoglou

ESCAMILLO/MORALLÈS
Dionyssis Tsantinis

ZUNIGA/LE DANCAÏRE
Costas Mavrogenis

CARMEN
Marissia Papalexiou

MICAËLA/FRASQUITA
Αntonia Kalogirou

MERCÉDÈS
Vicky Tsiliakou

Act I / At a café in a square of Seville, soldiers comment leisurely on the passers-by while waiting for Carmen who works nearby to show up. Eventually, Carmen comes and almost threatens her admirers by singing a song about the fickle nature of love. Reacting to Zuniga's persistent flirt, she takes refuge to Don José by kissing him in a provocative manner and throwing him a flower. Although Don José seems to be annoyed, he keeps the flower. Carmen and Mercédès return to work. Micaëla enters the stage and gives José a kiss and a letter from his mother. In the letter his mother designates Micaëla as a suitable wife for him. Voices are heard, Carmen and Zuniga enter the stage again, but this time in dispute. Carmen keeps a suspicious object in her bag, but she won't give any explanations. Zuniga asks Don José to lead her to prison. Once they are left alone, Carmen charms the officer and in exchange of liberating her she pledges her love to him. Don José helps her escape.

Act II / In a bar. Carmen and Mercédès work night shift. Escamillo, the famous toreador, arrives. Carmen seems to be disinterested, but she lets him hope. Don José arrives and Carmen joyously dances for his sake. When he explains to her that duty calls him and has to leave, Carmen is outraged; she remains unmoved both at the view of the flower of their first encounter and by his marriage proposal. As she explains, if he loves her, he must leave her and make a fresh start someplace else. The lieutenant of the guards (Zuniga) returns hoping to find Carmen alone. Don José, jealous of Zuniga, attacks him. Now he has no other choice but to follow Carmen.

Act III / In a deserted place where Carmen and Don José have taken refuge. Micaëla comes dispirited only to inform Don José that his mother is dying. When she perceives that someone is following her, she hides. The person following her is Escamillo who has come to claim Carmen. Don José is furious and challenges him in a duel. At this point Carmen interrupts them and Escamillo invites everyone to his next bullfighting. Micaëla turns up informing Don José that his mother is on her death bed. He threatens Carmen and follows the girl. Carmen is mesmerised by Escamillo and follows his voice.

Act IV / In Escamillo's dressing room. Carmen helps him in his preparations for the arena. Escamillo bids her a warm goodbye and enters the arena. Carmen is left alone and watches the bullfighting on a monitor. Don José rushes in and insists on her following him. She openly tells him that she does not love him and that she would rather die than losing her freedom. Through the arena she can hear the cheering crowd and she is about to dash and take a taste of Escamillo's triumph, but Don José stands in her way. She gives him back the ring he had given her as a token of his love and kills her the very moment the bull strikes a deadly blow at Escamillo.

Director's note / Although today Carmen is synonymous with Spain, nobody remembers that its composer had never visited the Iberian Peninsula before composing this work that was to reserve him a place amongst the most celebrated opera composers. In the abridged version of the work we prepared for the Suitcase Opera, our aim was to narrate the story from a different angle with regard to Spain and its particular character. We kept intact the opera's dramatic core in which the dynamic rapport that develops among the main characters is skilfully outlined through music and dramatic performance. However, the grand spectacle and the vivid, crowded scenes were left out. In essence, every abridged version is a new creation. Consequently, our intent was to place our own Carmen in the Spain of the 1990s, in Seville; a city whose history is always evident and where the past encounters the present, and both engage in a discourse with daily life.
Almodovar's films are our focal point of reference as far the aesthetics are concerned. Through his cinematography we saw Spain from a different viewpoint and we became familiarised with the country, perhaps more than Bizet was in his time. Our version presents two different worlds that meet and eventually come into conflict: on the one hand we see the conservative, Catholic and provincial Spain (especially Southern Spain); on the other hand there is the emancipated Spain and its big cities of the post-Franco era, the way it is depicted in Almodovar's films. The gypsy element was consciously omitted from our narration because in the past it bore different connotations from today and especially because in the original text it is used as an explanation for the deviant nature of Carmen and her comrades. Our decision to dispense with this outdated pseudo-exotic element did not emerge from the need to be politically correct, but rather from our choice to be more loyal to the spirit of the work and our decision to depict Carmen as a contemporary woman who is trying to survive by working day and night. She is a woman who knows the nitty-gritty of the world both under the bright light of day and in the darkness of night, making her a lot more experienced than Don José who grew up in a safe bourgeois environment. Carmen does not aspire to have a family and children; she knows that her desires would cost her dearly. However, she had never imagined the price would be so high…

Cast Gioconda's Smile

GIOCONDA
Maria Kousouni

WOMEN
Vanessa Kourkoulou
Dimitra Laoudi
Popi Sakellaropoulou
Εleana Andreoudi
Anna Fragou
Εleni Kladou
Komi Kloukina
Margarita Kostoglou
Despina Bisbiki
Eleftheria Stamou
Myrto Schinoplokaki
Ariadni Filippaki

MEN
Vangelis Bikos
Stelios Katopodis
Μichael Doolan
Nikos Moschis
Yannis Benetos
Elton Dimrochi
Ιlir Sipri
Thanassis Solomos
Dimitris Ferras

Cast Marsyas

ΜARSYAS
Stratos Papanoussis (4, 5, 10, 11/3)
Vangelis Bikos (6, 7, 8/3)

ΑPOLLON
Αleksandar Neskov (4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11/3)
Μichael Doolan (6/3)

ΑTHINA
Μaria Kousouni (4, 5, 8, 10/3)
Stavroula Kaburakis (6, 7, 11/3)

ΜUSES
Εleni Kladou
Κomi Kloukina
Μargarita Kostoglou
Valia Spiridonos
Εleftheria Stamou
Myrto Schinoplokaki
Αriadni Filippaki

MEN
Νikos Moschis
Yiannis Benetos
Elton Dimrochi
Ιlir Sipri
Thanassis Solomos
Dimitris Ferras

PRINCE
Νikos Stefanou (7, 16, 20/11 - 21/12 - 14, 17, 18, 30/1, 1, 3, 17, 19/2 - 8,10/3)
Charalambos Alexandropoulos (18, 22, 23/11 - 20, 23/12 - 15, 16/1 - 8, 13, 20/2 - 1, 5, 6/3)
Ιoannis Kavouras (19, 21/11 - 24/12 - 20, 21, 22, 28, 29/1 - 4, 15, 18/2)

PRINCESS
Vassia Zacharopoulou (7, 16, 18, 20, 22/11 - 21, 24/12 - 14, 15, 18, 21, 22 - 28/1 - 3, 13, 17, 19, 20/2 - 8/3)
Μaria Mavrommati (19, 21, 23/11 - 20, 23/12 - 16, 17, 20, 29, 30/1 - 1, 4, 8, 15, 18/2 - 1, 5, 6,10/3)

KING
Κostis Rasidakis (7, 16, 21, 22/11 - 20, 23/12 - 14, 15, 17, 29/1 - 1, 3, 8, 19/2 - 1, 5, 6, 8, 10/3)
Costas Mavrogenis (18, 19, 20, 23/11 - 21, 24/12 - 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30/1 - 4, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20/2)

ATTENDANT
Theodora Baka (7, 16, 20, 22/11 - 21/12 - 14, 18, 28/1 - 1, 3, 4, 17, 19/2 - 8/3)
Μiranda Makrinioti (18, 23/11 - 20, 23/12 - 15, 16, 20, 22/1 - 8, 15, 18, 20/2 - 1/3)
Αthina Kastrinaki (19, 21/11 - 24/12 - 17, 21, 29, 30/1 - 13/2 - 5, 6, 10/3)

COURTIERS
Νiki Chaziraki - Ekaterini Krassa (7, 16, 18, 21, 22/11 - 21, 24/12 - 14, 16, 20, 22, 29/1 - 1, 3, 8, 19/2 - 1, 5, 10/3)
Lito Messini - Μarilena Striftompola (19, 20, 23/11 - 20, 23/12 - 15, 17, 18, 21, 28, 30/1 - 4, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20/2 - 6, 8/3)

THREE LITTLE PIGS
Manolis Lorentzos (7, 16, 22/11 - 20, 23, 24/12 - 21, 22, 28, 29/1 - 1, 4, 8, 15, 17, 20/2 - 5, 8, 10/3)
Arkadios Rakopoulos (7, 16, 22/11 - 20, 23, 24/12 - 15, 18, 21, 22, 28/1 - 4, 8, 17, 20/2 - 1, 5, 8, 10/3)
Vassilis Kostopoulos (7, 16, 22/11 - 20, 23, 24/12 - 15, 21, 22, 28, 29/1 - 1, 3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 17, 20/2)
Αnastasios Stellas (18, 19, 20, 21, 23/11 - 21/12 - 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 30/1 - 3, 13, 18, 19/2 - 1, 6/3
Vasilis Asimakopoulos (18, 19, 20, 21, 23/11 - 21/12 - 14, 16, 17, 20, 29, 30/1 - 1, 3, 13, 15, 18, 19/2 - 6/3)
Αlexandros Loutas (18, 19, 20, 21, 23/11 - 21/12 - 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 30/1 - 18, 19/2 - 1, 5, 6, 8, 10/3)

With the GNO’s Children’s Theatre Orchestra

DON JOSÉ
Dimitris Sigalos

ESCAMILLO/MORALLÈS
Dionyssis Tsantinis

ZUNIGA/LE DANCAÏRE
Giorgos Mattheakakis

CARMEN
Marissia Papalexiou

MICAËLA/FRASQUITA
Despina Skarlatou

MERCÉDÈS
Vicky Tsiliakou