Euripides’ "Iphigenia in Tauris” to be Staged at NY Row Lion Theatre

The Leonidas Loizidis Theatre Company continues its journey around the USA with its world-touring production of “Iphigenia in Tauris”. The classic Greek tragedy of Euripides will be staged at Lion Theatre Off-Broadway at410 WEST 42 STREET, New York from the 7th of November to the 4th of December 2011.

The Leonidas Loizides Theatre Company was established as a nonprofit organization with the goal of spreading Greek culture through traveling productions of Greek drama. This journey around the world began four years ago with the staging of Euripides masterpieces “The Bacchae” and “The Troyan Women” and continued with Aeschylus’ trilogy of Greek tragedies “Oresteia, which became an off-Broadway production last year.

Produced and directed by Leonidas Loizides, “Iphigenia in Tauris” stars Eftychia Papadopoulou as Iphigenia, while the sound design is assigned to Neophytos Stratis. Scenography is organized by Georgio Stefano and costumes are designed by Pantelis Mitsi.

The Company’s goal is to produce another theatrical success, which will bring Iphigenia’s legend to life from a more positive point of view. “Euripides places the man against his tragic destiny, which is linked to the self and its own passions” points out Mr. Loisidis adding that “Heroes in this particular tragedy are depicting the quintessence of a human being standing up to question the power of gods and their interference with humans’ lives and destinies”.

Remaining faithful to the way the ancient Greeks presented their tragedies, Mr. Loizidis underlines the importance of studying the past in order to understand the future.

“My wish is to bring this past closer to the modern audience through the presentation of a cultural work created from a people who have never stopped creating” said Mr. Loizidis.

Loizides is a Cypriot by birth and has earned his degree in film directing at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He worked in theaters in Athens, Greece, and staged a series of plays ranging from ancient tragedies to contemporaries. With the Leonidas Loizidis Theatre Company, he has staged performances in Cyprus, England, France and the United States. The theater company consists of 12 members including the actors, the director, the technicians and the production organizers.