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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 September 2019
This article recounts the little-known story of the ‘Literary Evenings’ (1945–6), a series of literary recitals staged at the Greek National Theatre and organized by members of the Generation of the 1930s. Set against the background of intense political rivalry that followed the Varkiza Agreement, the ‘Literary Evenings’ capture the post-war aspirations for the popularization of high culture. Drawing upon hitherto unexplored archival material, this article aims to offer a new, historically informed understanding of the Generation of the 1930s, while also directing attention to the aural consumption of literary texts as an unacknowledged force behind canon formation.
This article builds on research conducted for my doctoral thesis ‘Poetry in performance in postwar Greece, 1945–1965’, King's College London, 2018. I am grateful to Professor David Ricks, my thesis supervisor, and to Professor Peter Mackridge and Dr Polina Tambakaki for their valuable comments on various drafts of this article. I owe special thanks to Professor Dimitris Papanikolaou for inviting me to present my work on canon formation at the University of Oxford, where some of my ideas were refined. I would also like to thank Professor Georgia Gotsi and an anonymous referee for their constructive suggestions. I am indebted to Dr Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the Gennadius Library at Athens, and to the library's archivists and staff for their generous assistance with my research. My gratitude also goes to the Board of the National Theatre of Greece for granting me permission to visit its archive and reproduce unpublished material. Finally, I would like to thank the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens for permission to consult its Historical Archive.
2 For this movement in France, see, for instance, Rigby, B., ‘The reconstruction of culture: Peuple et Culture and the popular education movement’, in Hewitt, N. (ed.), The Culture of Reconstruction: European Literature, Thought and Film, 1945–50 (Basingstoke 1989) 140–52Google Scholar; for similar concerns in post-war Italy, see S. Gundle, ‘The Communist Party and the politics of cultural change in postwar Italy, 1945–50’, in Hewitt (ed.), The Culture of Reconstruction, 12–36.
3 ‘Introduction’ in Hewitt (ed.), The Culture of Reconstruction, 4.
4 See, for instance, Close, D. H., The Origins of the Greek Civil War (London and New York 1995) 150–88Google Scholar.
5 See the few lines devoted to this project in G. Koukourikou, ‘Ελληνικό θέατρο και ιστορία. Από την Κατοχή στον Εμφύλιο (1940–1950)’, unpublished PhD thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2001, 137–8; E. Stamatopoulou, Το νεοελληνικό θέατρο στα χρόνια της καχεκτικής δημοκρατίας, 1944–1967. Η πολιτική ρεπερτορίου των αθηναϊκών επαγγελματικών θιάσων πρόζας (Τόμος Α΄: 1944–1955) (Αthens 2017) 35.
6 Consider, for instance, Argyriou's imposing eight-volume Ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας και η πρόσληψή της (Athens 2001–7) which focuses exclusively on the study of printed sources (books and literary journals).
7 See Papanikolaou, D., Singing Poets: Literature and Popular Music in France and Greece (Oxford 2007) 78–99Google Scholar.
8 Op. cit., 89.
9 Garantoudis, E., ‘Η ποίηση ως ζωντανός λόγος. Από την απαγγελία στην προφορική ανάγνωση’, in Από τον μοντερνισμό στη σύγχρονη ποίηση, 1930–2006 (Athens 2007) 160Google Scholar.
10 Even the term ‘Generation of the 1930s’ is strikingly absent from all accounts of Theotokas’ first term at the NT; see, for instance, Petrakou, K., Ο Θεοτοκάς του θεάτρου. Έργα, θεωρία και κριτική, δράση (Athens 2017) 379–401Google Scholar; Kastrinaki, A., Η λογοτεχνία στην ταραγμένη δεκαετία 1940–1950 (Athens 2005) 365–6Google Scholar.
11 Tziovas, D., Ο μύθος της γενιάς του τριάντα. Νεοτερικότητα, ελληνικότητα και πολιτισμική ιδεολογία (Athens 2011) 544Google Scholar. Unless otherwise noted, all translations are my own.
12 Indicative in this respect is Guillory's, J. seminal study Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation (Chicago and London 1993)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, which uses as its primary data school and university syllabuses.
13 It seems that the issue of performance enters the discussion either in relation to nineteenth-century literary practices, or in relation to individual authors who have a reputation for being prolific reciters; see, for instance, Papatheodorou, G., Ρομαντικά πεπρωμένα. Ο Αριστοτέλης Βαλαωρίτης ως ‘εθνικός ποιητής’ (Athens 2009)Google Scholar, in particular 241–323, and Vogiatzoglou, A., Η γένεση των πατέρων. Ο Σικελιανός ως διάδοχος των εθνικών ποιητών (Athens 2005) 127–62Google Scholar.
14 Strangely, although the largest part of this Archive was recently digitized (2008–11), all files related to the ‘Literary Evenings’ (printed programmes, newspaper clippings, etc.) were left out of this process, and do not currently appear in the NT's online database (http://www.nt-archive.gr/). Accessed 1 March 2019.
15 See ‘Ο νόμος διά το “Εθνικόν”’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 4 Nov. 1944.
16 See Kanakis, V., Εθνικό Θέατρο. Εξήντα χρόνια σκηνή και παρασκήνιο (Athens 1999) 49Google Scholar. For acts of resistance at the occupied NT, see Mavromoustakos, P., Το θέατρο στην Ελλάδα 1940–2000. Μια επισκόπηση (Athens 2005) 43–4Google Scholar.
17 ‘Το Εθνικόν Θέατρον’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 4 Nov. 1944; also quoted in Kanakis, Εθνικό Θέατρο, 53.
18 See, for instance, G. Theotokas, ‘Ο “τύπος Παπανδρέου”’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 19 Nov. 1944, republished in Theotokas, G., Πολιτικά κείμενα (Athens 1976) 401–2Google Scholar.
19 In 1942, Theotokas’ text ‘Ideological directions’ served as a manifesto for Papandreou's Democratic Socialist Party; see E. Hatzivassiliou, Ελληνικός φιλελευθερισμός. Το ριζοσπαστικό ρεύμα, 1932–1979 (Athens 2010) 142.
20 See Karandinos, S., ‘Ο Θεοτοκάς στο Κρατικό Θέατρο Βορείου Ελλάδος’, Νέα Εστία 1114 (1973) 1634Google Scholar; this is also mentioned in Petrakou, Ο Θεοτοκάς του θεάτρου, 380.
21 ‘[…] he [Papandreou] took me aside and asked me from which position I would like to offer my services’, diary entry, dated 18 Oct. 1944; Theotokas, G., Τετράδια ημερολογίου, 1939–1953, ed. Tziovas, D. (Athens 2014) 501Google Scholar.
22 The literary and theatre critic Aimilios Chourmouzios would later insinuate that Amantos’ decision to appoint Theotokas was influenced by their common origin from the island of Chios; see Chourmouzios, A., ‘Το Εθνικό Θέατρο (Ένας έλεγχος και μια προοπτική)’, Φιλολογικά Χρονικά 43 (1946) 225–6Google Scholar.
23 Theotokas, G., ‘Η πρώτη μεταπολεμική περίοδος του Εθνικού Θεάτρου (Απολογισμός)’, Νέα Εστία 451 (1946) 460Google Scholar.
24 In October 1945, Papatsonis too resigned due to workload, and was replaced by the theatre historian Giannis Sideris; see National Theatre of Greece, Archive, Administrative Board Meeting Minutes, 16 Oct. and 13 Nov. 1945.
25 G. Theotokas, ‘Η λογοτεχνία προς το λαό’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 11 Nov.1945, republished in G. Theotokas, Πολιτικά κείμενα, 178–80.
26 On the role of the Generation of the 1930s in mid-century Greek radio programming, see F. Antonelaki, Ποίηση στο ραδιόφωνο, 1945–1960. Πολιτιστική πολιτική και οι ποιητές της ‘γενιάς του τριάντα’. Available online: https://www.miet.gr/userfiles/b43b6205-bc09-4b97-8795-a6b100f44a81/Ποἰηση στο ραδιὀφωνο (PDF).pdf. Accessed 10 June 2019.
27 Elytis, O., ‘Το χρονικό μιας δεκαετίας’ (1974) in Ανοιχτά χαρτιά (Athens 2009) 435Google Scholar.
28 Terzakis’ daily column (‘Στο φτερό της πέννας’) gave amusing snippets of Athenian everyday life; Theotokas’ and Gatsos’ articles, which ranged from aesthetic to sociopolitical topics, appeared in the Sunday issue of the newspaper. A selection of Theotokas’ articles (1944–7) can be found in the volume Πολιτικά κείμενα; the absence of other theoretical writings underlines the need to catalogue and analyse Gatsos’ contributions to Καθημερινά Νέα (June-Sept. 1945).
29 M. Psalti offers a brief exposition of these articles, though without situating them in the broader context of the post-Liberation activity of the Generation of the 1930s; see Psalti, M., ‘Ο Ελύτης ως μεταπολεμικός επιφυλλιδογράφος. Τα πολιτικά του κείμενα στην εφημερίδα Ελευθερία’, Νέα Ευθύνη 23 (2014) 305–16Google Scholar, and ‘Τέσσερις αθησαύριστες πολιτικές επιφυλλίδες του Ελύτη στην εφημερίδα Ελευθερία’, Νέα Ευθύνη 34–5 (2016) 267–80.
30 O. Elytis, ‘Πνεύμα και πολιτική’, Ελευθερία, 22 July 1945.
31 N. Gatsos, ‘Το δράμα της νεότητας’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 30 Sept. 1945.
32 G. Theotokas, ‘Το δράμα των ελεύθερων ανθρώπων’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 1 July 1945.
33 G. Theotokas, ‘Η πρώτη μεταπολεμική περίοδος του Εθνικού Θεάτρου’, 462.
34 See Board Meeting Minutes, 3 April 1945.
35 See Board Meeting Minutes, 1 May 1945.
36 ‘Το Συμβούλιον αποφαίνεται αρνητικώς […] θεωρών πρόωρον έτι την ενέργειαν ταύτην’; Board Meeting Minutes, 15 May 1945; also quoted in Petrakou, Ο Θεοτοκάς του θεάτρου, 388.
37 On this series of assaults, see ‘Το πνεύμα σε διωγμό’, Ελεύθερα Γράμματα 8 (1945) 1–2. On the short-lived troupe of the ‘United Artists’ (‘Ενωμένοι Καλλιτέχνες’) and its connections with EAM, see G. Koukourikou, ‘Ελληνικό θέατρο και ιστορία’, 147–60; Stamatopoulou, Το νεοελληνικό θέατρο στα χρόνια της καχεκτικής δημοκρατίας, 93–106.
38 ‘Θέατρον ή φαρμακείον’, Εστία, 10 April 1946.
39 For the written protest against this ministerial decision, signed, among others, by Sikelianos, Kazantzakis, Elytis, Karandonis and I. M. Panagiotopoulos, see the full text in G. Theotokas, Τετράδια ημερολογίου, 554–5.
40 Symptomatic of the NT's vulnerability to political manipulation is the fact that, when a centrist government was formed after the 1950 elections, Theotokas returned to his position as director-general, only to be replaced again by Rondiris after the 1952 elections, won by a right-wing party; for Theotokas’ second term at the NT see Theotokas, Τετράδια ημερολογίου, 627–81; see also Petrakou, Ο Θεοτοκάς του θεάτρου, 401–25.
41 Ελληνικόν Αίμα, 30 April 1946.
42 Board Meeting Minutes, 30 April 1946. Cf. Seferis, G., Μέρες Ε΄ (1945- 1951) (Athens 1977) 32–3Google Scholar.
43 ‘Ανακοίνωσις προς το προσωπικόν του Ε.Θ.’ (16 Feb. 1945), American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Gennadius Library Archives, George Theotokas Papers, Box 39, Folder 1; see also ‘Πώς θα λειτουργήση το Εθνικό Θέατρο’, Η βραδυνή, 3 Feb. 1945.
44 For Theotokas’ vision of economic interdependence among nations, first expressed in his 1932 essay Facing the Social Problem [in Greek], see Hatzivassiliou, Ελληνικός φιλελευθερισμός, 54–5.
45 Quoted in Hatzivassiliou, Ελληνικός φιλελευθερισμός, 195–6.
46 See Board Meeting Minutes, 6 March 1945.
47 For Seferis’ regular attendance at the ‘Matinées Poétiques’ of the early 1920s, see Tsatsou, I., Ο αδελφός μου Γιώργος Σεφέρης (Athens 1980) 122, 124–5Google Scholar, 139–40, and 149.
48 P. Dux, ‘Les Matinées Poétiques de la Comédie-Française’, in Les Matinées Poétiques de la Comédie-Française: Programme de la saison 1944–1945 (Paris [n.d.]).
49 Dux, ‘Les Matinées Poétiques de la Comédie-Française’.
50 Payen, L., ‘Avant-propos’ in Anthologie des Matinées Poétiques de la Comédie Française. Tome second: 1921–1925 (Paris 1927) 2Google Scholar.
51 Quoted in B. Rigby, ‘The reconstruction of culture’, 147.
52 G. Theotokas, ‘Η λογοτεχνία προς το λαό’.
53 ‘Μια καλή ιδέα’ [unsigned editorial note], Ελεύθερα Γράμματα 28–9 (1945) 2.
54 Quoted in Imvrioti, R., ‘Η λαϊκή παιδεία’, Ελεύθερα Γράμματα 22 (1945) 12Google Scholar.
55 See Hatzivassiliou, Ελληνικός φιλελευθερισμός, 194–5.
56 G. Theotokas, ‘Eκπαιδευτική πολιτική’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 21 Nov. 1944, reprinted in Πολιτικά κείμενα, 175–7.
57 See Amantos, K., ‘Η Δημοτική γλώσσα και η Παιδεία’, Νέα Εστία 435 (1945) 618Google Scholar.
58 ‘Βιβλία και βιβλιοθήκες για το λαό’ [unsigned editorial note], Ελεύθερα Γράμματα 7 (1945) 2.
59 See ‘Ζαφειρίτσας φερετζές’, Εστία, 30 March 1945; yet Amantos was explicitly accused of being a communist when he attempted to legislate demotic as the official Greek language; see Amantos, ‘Η Δημοτική γλώσσα και η Παιδεία’.
60 Diary entry, dated 10 July 1944; quoted in G. Kotzioulas, Θέατρο στα βουνά (Athens 1976) 44–5.
61 Sikelianos, A., ‘Η τέχνη και η εποχή’ [survey], Νέα Εστία 433 (1945) 510Google Scholar.
62 O. Elytis, ‘Πνεύμα και πολιτική’; also indicative of Elytis’ confidence in this newly forged relationship is his article's subtitle: ‘The war opened up new intellectual horizons for popular masses towards a new, better era’.
63 Venezis, E., ‘Το θέατρο και η εποχή’ [survey], Νέα Εστία 450 (1946) 423Google Scholar.
64 See Koukourikou, ‘Ελληνικό θέατρο και ιστορία’, 33–4.
65 For Theotokas’ wartime production, which he later labelled as ‘popular theatre’ [Θεατρικά έργα Α΄. Νεοελληνικό λαϊκό θέατρο (Athens 1965)], see Petrakou, Ο Θεοτοκάς του θεάτρου, 45–223.
66 The play was originally meant to be staged at the NT in the 1945–6 season, together with other productions which were eventually left out of the repertoire, including Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new translation by Seferis; see Board Meeting Minutes, 29 May 1945.
67 See Sapounaki-Drakaki, L. and Tzogia-Moatsou, M., Η Δραματική Σχολή του Εθνικού Θεάτρου (Athens 2011) 490Google Scholar.
68 See Dimopoulos, D., Ένας σκηνοθέτης θυμάται… (Athens 1998) 60Google Scholar; for Seferis’ visits to Sarandidis’ drama school in September 1940, see Seferis, G., Μέρες Γ΄ (1934–1940) (Athens 1977) 235–6Google Scholar.
69 The launch of (mostly short-lived) drama schools in Athens during the war, such as the schools of Sarandidis, Marika Kotopouli, Vasilis Rotas and, of course, Karolos Koun, is a phenomenon that surely deserves further scrutiny, especially when viewed in the light of theatre's importance to the national war effort and the resistance movement.
70 On EAM's ‘theatre in the mountains’ see, for instance, Myrsiades, L. and Myrsiades, K., Cultural Representation in Historical Resistance: Complexity and Construction in Greek Guerrilla Theater (Cranbury, NJ 1999)Google Scholar; Vogiatzoglou, A., Ποίηση και πολεμική. Μια βιογραφία του Γιώργου Κοτζιούλα (Athens 2015) 161–91Google Scholar.
71 On the ‘People's Theatre’ (‘Θέατρο του Λαού’) as the first politically engaged theatre group ever founded in Greece see Stamatopoulou, Το νεοελληνικό θέατρο στα χρόνια της καχεκτικής δημοκρατίας, 91–3.
72 Stored in the archive of the actress/member of the ‘United Artists’ troupe, Aspasia Papathanasiou; quoted in Koukourikou, ‘Ελληνικό θέατρο και ιστορία’, 150.
73 Only the first Evening was given three times (23 Nov. 1945, 30 Nov. 1945, 2 Feb. 1946); the second, third and fourth Evenings were staged twice (14 Jan. 1946/21 Jan. 1946, 11 Mar. 1946/18 Mar. 1946 and 29 Apr. 1946/5 May 1946, respectively).
74 Γ΄ Λογοτεχνική Απογευματινή and Δ΄ Λογοτεχνική Απογευματινή [printed programmes]; National Theatre of Greece, Archive, Press Clippings (1945–6).
75 Their contribution to the Literary Evenings, however, is acknowledged again in Theotokas’ informal report of his term of office, published in April 1946; G. Theotokas, ‘Η πρώτη μεταπολεμική περίοδος του Εθνικού Θεάτρου’, 468.
76 G. Theotokas, ‘Η λογοτεχνία προς το λαό’.
77 Two sonnets from the collection of religious poems Άνθη ευλαβείας (1708), included in the third Evening, and an excerpt from the pastoral idyll Η Βοσκοπούλα (ca. 1600), performed in the fourth Evening.
78 It is worth noting that only 8 out of the 85 selected poetic texts (9.41%) were sections extracted from longer poems; the latter were by Solomos, Kalvos, Valaoritis, Rangavis, Paparrigopoulos, Palamas and Kazantzakis.
79 Solomos’ and Palamas’ poems were heard in three Evenings (Α΄, Β΄ and Γ΄); both Cavafy and Sikelianos were anthologized in two Evenings (B΄/Γ΄ and Α΄/Δ΄, respectively).
80 For the oral circulation of French resistance poetry during the 1940s, see Papanikolaou, Singing Poets, 16–18.
81 Some of these occasional poems were both written and performed before audiences by Kotzioulas himself; see Vogiatzoglou, Ποίηση και πολεμική, 179.
82 Μικρή ανθολογία. Ποιήματα του αγώνα για απαγγελία (Athens 1946). The volume appeared as a publication of EAM's local unit of the Athenian Koukaki district.
83 See N. Vranas, ‘Το τραγούδι του Δίστομου’, K. Kalantzis, ‘Καισαριανή’, and K. Marinis, ‘Η Κοκκινιά βροντολαλεί’ in Μικρή ανθολογία, 9, 13 and 14 respectively.
84 Theotokas, G., ‘Οι πνευματικοί μας άνθρωποι εμπρός στα μεταπολεμικά προβλήματα’ [survey], Ελεύθερα Γράμματα 15 (1945) 4Google Scholar.
85 N. Gatsos, ‘Η κρίση της πνευματικής ζωής’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 24 June 1945.
86 See ‘Μυθιστόρημα και διήγημα του ΙΘ και Κ αιώνος’, Επετηρίς του Πανεπιστημιακού Έτους 1936–1937 (Athens 1937) 125; ‘Διηγηματογραφία του ΙΘ και Κ αιώνος (1850–1930)’, Επετηρίς του Πανεπιστημιακού Έτους 1937–1938 (Athens 1938) 123.
87 See ‘Συνεδρία Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής’, 15 Oct. 1945; Historical Archive of the University of Athens.
88 N. Gatsos, ‘Η πνευματική προπαγάνδα στο εξωτερικό’. Καθημερινά Νέα, 22 July 1945.
89 Prior to 1976, Cavafy and Sikelianos were represented (by one poem each) in a textbook published in 1931, which fell out of use after the establishment of OESV in 1937; see Ch. Koumbarou-Chanioti, Τα Νεοελληνικά Αναγνώσματα στη Μέση Εκπαίδευση. Συγγραφείς και ανθολογημένα κείμενα (1884–1977) (Athens 2003) 78 and 152, respectively.
90 See Koumbarou-Chanioti, Τα Νεοελληνικά Αναγνώσματα, 47, 78 and 86, respectively.
91 See Voutieridis, E., Ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας. Από των μέσων του ΙΕ΄ αιώνος μέχρι των νεώτατων χρόνων, 2 vols (Athens 1924–7)Google Scholar, and Σύντομη ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας (1000–1930) (Athens 1933); Α. Kambanis, Ιστορία της νέας ελληνικής λογοτεχνίας (1000 μ.Χ.-1900) (Alexandria 1925), and Ιστορία της νέας ελληνικής λογοτεχνίας (έως το 1932) (Athens 1933).
92 See Kambanis, Ιστορία (1925) 9; cf. V. Apostolidou, ‘Δημοτικισμός και ιστορία της λογοτεχνίας: Αρίστος Καμπάνης’, in Ο Κωστής Παλαμάς ιστορικός της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας (Athens 1992) 360–4.
93 See Voutieridis, Ιστορία, II, 121–3.
94 Voutieridis, Σύντομη ιστορία, 387.
95 See Kechagioglou, G., ‘Οι ιστορίες της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας’, Μαντατοφόρος 15 (1980) 18Google Scholar.
96 See ‘Α΄ Λογοτεχνική Απογευματινή. Εισήγηση’, ASCSA, Gennadius Library Archives, George Theotokas Papers, Box 39, Folder 1.
97 Dimaras, Κ. Th., Ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας. Από τον ρωμαντισμό ως την εποχή μας (Athens 1949) 33Google Scholar.
98 Theotokas, G., ‘Κ. Θ. Δημαρά: Ιστορία της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας. Τόμος α΄’, Νέα Εστία 521 (1948) 382Google Scholar.
99 ‘The literary generation of the 1930s’ (outline of Theotokas’ lecture given on 22 November 1947), reprinted in Tziovas, Ο μύθος της γενιάς του τριάντα, 566.
100 Theotokas, G., Ελεύθερο πνεύμα (Athens 1929) 28Google Scholar; for Theotokas’ contribution to the canonization of Cavafy, see Apostolidou, V., ‘Ο Θεοτοκάς και η λογοτεχνική παράδοση’, Νέα Εστία 1784 (2005) 987–8Google Scholar.
101 Theotokas, Ελεύθερο πνεύμα, 29.
102 Seferis, G., On the Greek Style, trans. Warner, R. and Frangopoulos, Th. D. (London 1967) 81Google Scholar.
103 In addition to the ‘Literary Evenings’, consider a series of ten lectures held at the Parnassos Literary Association (1946), five of which were delivered by intellectuals associated with the NT (Theotokas, Dimaras, Seferis, Elytis and Karandinos), presenting topics such as Greek Romanticism, Erotokritos, and the Memoirs of General Makriyannis.
104 Karandonis, A., ‘Η σύγχρονη ελληνική ποίηση’, Αγγλοελληνική Επιθεώρηση 1.9 (Nov. 1945) 9Google Scholar; the poets presented in this article were Seferis, Elytis, Embiricos, Engonopoulos, Andoniou, Sarandaris, Drivas, and Gatsos.
105 M. Rodas, ‘Ένα νέο είδος…“πνευματικών δοσιλόγων”. Οι “κληρονόμοι” του Σολωμού’, Τα Νέα, 6 Dec. 1945.
106 The use of the term provoked the reaction of Theotokas (‘Περίεργα ήθη’, Καθημερινά Νέα, 27 Jan. 1946), urging Rodas to reply that he simply made an ‘innocent pun’ (‘Η ελευθερία του πνευματικού ελέγχου’, Τα Νέα, 30 Jan. 1946).
107 For Rodas’ resignation, due to his disagreement over which director should undertake the staging of Greek tragedies, see his memo to Theotokas, dated 23 April 1945; ASCSA, Gennadius Library Archives, George Theotokas Papers, Box 39, Folder 1.
108 Theotokas, ‘Η λογοτεχνία προς το λαό’.
109 See Glytzouris, A., Η σκηνοθετική τέχνη στην Ελλάδα. Η ανάδυση και η εδραίωση της τέχνης του σκηνοθέτη στο νεοελληνικό θέατρο (Heraklion 2011) 386–7Google Scholar.
110 Athanasiadis-Novas, Τh., ‘Ποίηση και απαγγελία’, Ελληνική Δημιουργία 34 (1949) 36Google Scholar; for a positive assessment of the NT's performance techniques, see Thrylos, A., ‘Α΄ Λογοτεχνική Απογευματινή’, Νέα Εστία 443 (1945) 1109Google Scholar.
111 Initially, ticket prices were 100 drachmas (full) and 50 (reduced). In 1946, due to inflation, ticket prices —for the other NT productions—soared to 1,200 drachmas (Board Meeting Minutes, 3 Jan. 1946); ticket prices for the ‘Literary Evenings’ increased as well, but, given Theotokas’ intention to keep tickets affordable, we cannot determine the extent.
112 For the several causes of the theatrical crisis of the early post-war period, see G. Ioannidis, Ξένοι συγγραφείς στο ελληνικό θέατρο (1945–1967). Από τη μεριά των θιάσων (Athens 2014) 27–40.
113 For instance, the most successful Evening of this second cycle was the one dedicated to the School of the Ionian Islands, which was given four times (January-February 1952), attracting a total audience of 2,872; see National Theatre of Greece, Archive, Press Clippings (1951–2).
114 Judt, T., Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 (London 2007) 64Google Scholar.