Kostas Papakostopoulos

Kostas Papakostopoulos

Kostas Papakostopoulos (* 1962 in Athens ) is a theater director , playwright and founder and artistic director of the German-Greek Theater (DGT) in Cologne . In his productions for the DGT and municipal theaters, he primarily deals with the ancient drama and myth of his Greek homeland. Papakostopoulos takes up the questions of social order posed in the mythical stories - questions about how to deal with power, law and democracy - and reformulates them for the present.

Life

Kostas Papakostopoulos was born in Athens. After completing a degree in economics at the University of Athens , he studied theater studies at the University of Cologne . He worked as assistant director to Dimiter Gotscheff in 1988/89 at the Schauspielhaus Cologne and to Frank Castorf in 1989/90 at the Schauspielhaus Cologne and at the Berliner Volksbühne.

In 1990 Kostas Papakostopoulos founded the German Greek Theater in Cologne. In the following years he expanded the German-Greek theater group into a multinational artists' initiative. He has made a name for himself with his ensemble and innovative productions beyond the borders of the city and Germany. Over the years he has staged plays by Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Heiner Müller, William Shakespeare, Dea Loher, Dimitris Kehaidis, Vassilis Ziogas, Dimitris Dimitriadis, among others. In addition, since 2006 he has successfully conceived and premiered his own pieces, such as "Migrantenchor", "Aias 21", "Geldgott // Choir of the Outraged", "Schutzflehende", "Iphigenie", "Eurexit" and "Zocker".

He staged both in the independent theater scene and on urban stages, including Schauspiel Köln, Freie Werkstatt Theater, Theater im Bauturm, Studiobühne Cologne, Comedia Theater , Theater Aachen, Schauspiel Düsseldorf, Theater Oberhausen, Theater im Pfalzbau Ludwigshafen. In recent years, Papakostopoulos has also presented his work on international guest tours and represented the city of Cologne abroad with great success, including Barcelona 2009, Turin 2011, Thessaloniki 2008, 2012, 2013, Brussels 2014, Vienna 2015, Athens 2015, 2016, 2017 , 2018. Kostas Papakostopoulos lives in Cologne.

Productions

• 2018 "Zocker" by Kostas Papakostopoulos after Kechaidis in the free workshop theater
• 2017 "Eurexit" by Kostas Papakostopoulos after Aeschylus in the theater in the building tower
• 2016 "Iphigenie" by Kostas Papakostopoulos after Euripides in the theater in the building tower
• 2015 "Antigone" by Kostas Papakostopoulos based on Sophocles in coproduction with the Theater im Bauturm
• 2014 "Schutzflehende" by Kostas Papakostopoulos based on Aeschylus in coproduction with the Theater im Bauturm
• 2013 "Women's People's Assembly" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Theater im Bauturm
• 2012 "GELDGOTT // CHOIR OF EMPORTS" - a comedy by Kostas Papakostopoulos based on "Ploutos" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 2011 "Eumeniden" by Aeschylus in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 2010 "Elektra" by Sophokles in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 2009 "Agamemnon" based on Aeschylus in coproduction with the Cologne studio
• 2008 "The Birds" by Aristophanes in coproduction with Theater Oberhausen and Studiobühne Köln
• 2007 "Aias 21" by Kostas Papakostopoulos based on Sophocles in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 2006 "Migrantenchor" by Kostas Papakostopoulos in coproduction with the Schauspielhaus Aachen
• 2006 "Oedipus auf Kolonos" by Sophocles in coproduction with the Cologne studio
• 2005 "King Oedipus" by Sophocles in coproduction with the Westfälische Landesbühnen Castrop-Rauxel and the Studiobühne Köln
• 2004 "The Persians" by Aeschylus in coproduction with Schauspiel Köln
• 2003 "Medea" by Euripides in coproduction with the Schauspiel Köln and the Theater im Pfalzbau, Ludwigshafen
• 2002 "To Tavli" by Dimitris Kechaidis in coproduction with the Free Workshop Theater Cologne
• 2002 "Manhattan Medea" by Dea Loher in coproduction with the Freie Werkstatt Theater Cologne
• 2001 "Ich die als Land" by Dimitris Dimitriadis in German premiere in coproduction with the Free Workshop Theater Cologne
• 2000 "Die Acharner" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 1999 "Prometheus" by Aeschylus based on a translation by Heiner Müller in the Martin Luther Church in Cologne
• 1998 "Die Komödie der Fliege" by Vassilis Ziogas in German premiere in coproduction with the FWT, the Cologne-Deutz train station, the Martin-Luther-Church
• 1997 "Timon von Athen" by William Shakespeare in coproduction with the Freie Kammerspiele Cologne
• 1996 "Wie Newborn" by Dimitris Kechaidis in German premiere in coproduction with the Free Workshop Theater Cologne
• 1995 "The Clouds" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Studiobühne Köln
• 1995 "Herakles 5" by Heiner Müller in coproduction with the Urania Theater Cologne
• 1994 "The Frogs" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Comedia Theater
• 1993 "Die Bakchen" by Euripides in coproduction with the Urania Theater Cologne
• 1992 "Philoktet" by Heiner Müller in coproduction with the Urania Theater Cologne
• 1992 "The Wedding Ring" by Dimitris Kechaidis in coproduction with the Comedia Theater
• 1991 "Women's People's Assembly" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Cologne University of Music
• 1990 "Ploutos" by Aristophanes in coproduction with the Cologne University of Music

Awards and festivals

• 2018 "Eurexit" invited to the Teatro Technis - Karolos Koun in Athens, in cooperation with the Goethe Institute in Athens
• 2017 "Iphigenie" invited to the theater of the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Athens
• 2016 "Antigone" invited to the theater of the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Athens
• 2015 "Schutzflehende" invited to the world theater festival Art Carnuntum, to the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and to the theater of the Foundation Cacoyannis in Athens
• 2014 "Eumenids" invited to Brussels as an official festival contribution within the framework of the Greek EU Council Presidency
• 2013 "Geldgott // Choir of Outraged" invited to Thessaloniki as the official festival contribution of the city of Cologne to the 25th anniversary of the city partnership Cologne-Thessaloniki
• 2012 "Eumeniden" invited to Thessaloniki as the official festival contribution of the city of Cologne in the context of the 100th anniversary of the independence of the city of Thessaloniki
• 2011 "Migrantenchor" invited to Turin as an official festival contribution of the city of Cologne within the framework of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy
• 2009 "Migrantenchor" invited to Barcelona as an official festival contribution of the city of Cologne to the 25th anniversary of the city partnership Cologne-Barcelona
• 2008 "Migrantenchor" invited to the festival "Dimitria" in Thessaloniki, as the official festival contribution of the city of Cologne to the 20th anniversary of the city partnership Cologne-Thessaloniki, in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut
• 2007 "AIAS 21" nominated for the 2008 "Theaterzwang" festival
• 2006 "Migrantenchor" nominated for the Cologne Theater Prize 2006
• 2005 "King Oedipus" invited by the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf
• 2003 "I die as a country" invited to the "Internationale Kulturtage" festival organized by the state of Baden-Württemberg.
• 2002 "To Tavli" invited to the "Greek Culture Days" festival organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece
• 2001 "Die Acharner" invited by the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf
• 2001 Organization of the first "German-Greek Theater Festival in Cologne" in cooperation with the Studiobühne Cologne and under the patronage of the Ministries of Culture of Greece and North Rhine-Westphalia
• 2001 "I die as a country" invited to the International Book Fair in Frankfurt
• 2000 "Prometheus" invited to the festival "Greek Culture Days" organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece
• 1999 "Prometheus" invited by the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf, Theater im Pfalzbau, Rococo Theater Schwetzingen
• 1998 "Timon von Athen" nominated for the theater festival "Theaterzwang" of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
• 1997 "Herakles 5" nominated and invited to the theater festival "Politics in Free Theater" in Bremen
• 1994 "The Frogs" nominated for the Cologne Theater Prize 1994
• 1992 "Philoktet" nominated for the Cologne Theater Prize 1992

Web links

• Website of the German-Greek Theater Cologne