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Theatre Backdrop - Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre, Karaghiozis' House, 1960s
Reg. No: SH 911418
- Summary:
- Alternative Name[s]: Paragga [an old run-down house/shack]
This backdrop was made in the 1960s by the Greek artist and shop owner Sokaras at his shop in Monastiraki in Athens where he had his workshop in the basement. He gave it to puppeteer Dimitri Katsoulis during a return visit to Greece in 1985. Dimitri never used the backdrop as he found it to be too small for his performances. Dimitri Katsoulis migrated to Australia in 1974 to escape a regime that repressed Greek artists. He had trained in Greece with theatre and film companies as an actor and technician. A master of the traditional Greek shadow puppet theatre, his performances explored contemporary issues such as the isolation of migrant women and children. Unable to obtain funding and support, he returned to Greece in 1991, leaving his entire collection to the people of Victoria. It includes 32 shadow puppets and around 170 props, set backdrops and technical tools and stage equipment. Dimitri has since returned to Melbourne and assists the Museum to continue to document this rich art form within both local and international contexts.
This backdrop of a house was designed to be used in the centuries-old Traditional Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre performances. It was the home of Karaghiozis, it is half falling down, with a hole in the roof, it is a 'home of the starving' as Karaghiozis says sarcastically. It was placed opposite the palace on the left side of the stage and forms part of the permanent scenery in all the plays, both in comedies and in social plays, however, in the heroic, religious or mythical plays it is removed after the introduction and it is replaced with a different type of building or the side of a mountain, depending on the play.
Information supplied by Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre master Dimitri Katsoulis, 2007. - Description:
- A rectangular sheet of transparent celluloid, most of which is covered with a design showing a rundown timber hut with a red-tiled roof. The walls of the hut are orange. The door and shutters are falling off their hinges. A tree stands beside the hut; chains from the tree support the roof. A ladder leans against the tree.
| Discipline: | History |
| Dimensions: | 50.00 cm (Height), 37.00 cm (Length) |
More information
| Tagged with: | cultural maintenance, greek communities, greek immigration, karaghiozis theatre, shadow puppetry, theatres, working life |
| Themes this item is part of: | Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - Dimitri Katsoulis, Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - Lighting Technology, Greek Shadow Puppet Theatre - History, Cultural Diversity Collection, Migration Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection |
| Primary Classification: | CULTURAL IDENTITY |
| Secondary Classification: | Ethnicity - Creative Practice |
| Tertiary Classification: | puppetry |
| Artist: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Athens, Greece, 1960-1969 |
| User: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Athens, Greece, 1960-1977 Abraam made the puppet in Greece, and used it in performances during the 1960s and 1970s; and then in Victoria in 1977. |
| User: | Mr Abraam Antonakos, Victoria, Australia, 1977 Abraam made the puppet in Greece, and used it in performances during the 1960s and 1970s; and then in Victoria in 1977. |
| User: | Mr Dimitri Katsoulis, Australia, 1978-1991 Dimitri was given the puppet by Abraam in 1977 and then used it in his performances in Australia until 1991. |
| References: | http://www.cv.vic.gov.au/#; Malkin, Michael, R. Traditional and Folk Puppets of the World, A.S. Barnes & Co., Inc., N.J., 1977; Simmen, Rene, The World of Puppets, Elsevier, Phaidon, London, 1975; Hogarth, Ann & Bussell, Jan, Fanfare for Puppets!, David & Charles Publishers Ltd, USA, 1985; Yayannos, A & Ar and Dingli, J. The World of Karaghiozis, 1976 |
Themes
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