The relationship of the theatrical Kyveli family with Pirandello, naturally resulted in the creation of a partnership between the “Kyveli Institute” and the “Centro Nazionale di Studi Pirandelliani”, Agrigento (“National Centre of Pirandello Studies” of Agrigento) and the Institute was established as its branch for SE Europe and Cyprus.
Pirandello and the theatrical Kyveli family
“My family name is Pyrangelos. Pirandello is only its phonetic corruption: Pirantzelo, Pirandello…”. With these words Pirandello himself confesses in 1934 in an interview to Kostas Ouranis his Greek origins: “I carry Greece within me. Her spirit illuminates my thinking and comforts my soul. I can even tell you that without ever having been there I know her. I’m from Sicily, namely Magna Graecia (Great Greece)…”. Greece embraces Pirandello in the best possible way: in 1914 it is she that “anoints” him European Dramatist, since Greece was the first country after Italy that played his works. The responsibility for bringing to the Greek theatre for the first time a performance of Pirandello’s work was undertaken by Telemachus Lepeniotis, one of the leaders of Konstantinos Christomanos’ “Nea Skini” (“New Stage”), who introduced with his troupe on June 19th 1914 and for two consecutive days, the one-act The vise (La morsa) at the “Kyveli Theatre”. This is the first one-act play written by Luigi Pirandello and was first published in 1898, with the original title The epilogue (L ‘epilogo). This performance comes at a time when the author is almost unknown as a playwright even in Italy, and four years after the play was first performed.
From that performance at the “Kyveli Theatre” in 1914 up to the early 80s many members of the theatrical family of Kyveli showcased, in a variety of ways, the famous Italian dramatist’s work in Greece.
Kyveli
1914: The vise
1926: All for the best
Mitsos Myrat
1925: Henry IV
1926: Henry IV (dir. M. Myrat)
1935: To dress the naked
Marika Kotopouli
1925: Henry IV
1926: Henry IV (dir. M. Myrat)
Miranda Myrat
1923: The pleasure of honesty (dir. Kyveli)
1928: Man, beast and virtue (dir. Kyveli)
1950: Henry IV
1962: The pleasure of honesty
Dimitris Myrat
1961: Tonight we improvise (dir. D. Myrat)-Pirandello International Award for best Greek actor in Tonight we improvise
1983: To dress the naked (Translated & directed by D. Myrat)
Voula Zouboulaki
1961: Tonight we improvise (dir. D. Myrat)
1983: To dress the naked (Translated & directed by D. Myrat)
