Institute for Mediterranean Studies

Modernization and Greek Theatre: The reception of Realism and Naturalism in the Modern Greek Theatre

Modernization and Greek Theatre: The reception of Realism and Naturalism in the Modern Greek Theatre

The reception of the wider European realistic tradition, from conventional realism of the mid-19th century to the anti-reformist Naturalism, is a desideratum of the history of Modern Greek Theater. The subject has been identified in the past but has not yet been systematically studied, mainly because of the vastness of material. The issue is related to a number of serious issues that have arisen in the tradition of "urban drama" which was bequeathed by the Enlightenment; and concerns the thorny but crucial problem of the degree of assimilation of realistic artistic conventions into the Greek dramaturgy of 19th and first decades of 20th century. In short, the research project aims to examine the realistic representation of Modern Greek society, its qualities and its limitations.

Research team: Antonis Glytzouris, Constantina Georgiadi, Maria Mavrogeni, Angeliki Mpihaki

The reception of the wider European realistic tradition, from conventional realism of the mid-19th century to the anti-reformist Naturalism, is a desideratum of the history of Modern Greek Theater. The subject has been identified in the past but has not yet been systematically studied, mainly because of the vastness of material. The issue is related to a number of serious issues that have arisen in the tradition of "urban drama" which was bequeathed by the Enlightenment; and concerns the thorny but crucial problem of the degree of assimilation of realistic artistic conventions into the Greek dramaturgy of 19th and first decades of 20th century. In short, the research project aims to examine the realistic representation of Modern Greek society, its qualities and its limitations.


Research products

Three electronic databases: 1. a) translated and original plays and publishing activity, b) records of foreign and modern Greek realistic dramas, and c) critical and theoretical essays dealing with the issue. 2. A conference
2. A collective volume           


Relevant publications

Online Databases:

Αρχεία .xls σε μορφή .zip (345KB)

Online Conference Proceedings:

Aρχείο PDF (5.8MB)