The second part of the CORPO | TO THE ABYSS | HOLY FATHER trilogy
by Antonia Economou

In the Contemporary Theatre of Athens
Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s “Purgatory”

“This mountain’s of such sort that climbing it is hardest at the start; but as we rise, the slope grows less unkind…”
Dante Alighieri, Canto IV, 88-95. Purgatorio, Divina Commedia

The landscape changes. The climate and the environment are radically transformed. Sun. Nature. Pain and torture. And finally hope while counting time. Up the mountain. Virgil washes away the filth of the Inferno from Dante’s face. But for light to exist, darkness is needed. Hope is a dangerous thing.
After he manages to emerge from the the bowels of the Earth, Dante accompanied by his beloved Virgil begins his ascent up the mountain of Purgatory. It is the first time, since Virgil met Dante in the dark woods of the Inferno, that either of them have seen the Sun. Since then, Dante has overcome his own darkness and demons, but still has a long way ahead of him. Feeling empowered, Dante opens his eyes as wide possible reassured of his divine aim: to climb his mountain. The Sun, symbolizing the light of God, allows Dante and Virgil to proceed to their journey. Now in Purgatory, the doomed sinners are given the freedom they had as free agents while still alive on Earth. They are tortured for their sins, but their pain has an expiration date, they serve their sentence as if in a prison, because afterwards they will be glorified with the reward of Heaven. The sinners in Purgatory condemned as shadows they serve their sentence to remove the stains of their sins. Catharsis and salvation. This is by far the most ‘’human’’ part of the Divine Comedy. Even though these shadows are given the divine hope of heavenly salvation and do not have to experience the eternal tortures of those doomed in the Inferno, it is this exact condition of freedom to amend for their sins and this painfully slow passing of time that they have to endure, which condemn them to the worst fate of all. To the abyss of waiting.

Credits

Artistic Director | Choreographer:
Antonia Economou

Loop Music Compositions:
George Kravvaritis

Executive Producer:
Antonia Economou

Production:
ERGO

Material devised and performed by:
Simeon Tsakiris
Alexis Edman
Dimitris Tsikouras
Xenia Tampourlou
Christina Gazi
Sophia Kourtesi
Marianna Lazari
Gianna Alamanou
Giannis Mitsos
Konstantinos Katsoudas
Panagiotis Politis

Live Music:
Sotiris Tsolis (Drums)
Stavros Parginos (Cello)
Labros Papanikolaou (Double Bass)
Panagiotis Giotis (Guitar)

Light Design:
Antonia Economou 

Costumes:
Antonia Economou 

Photographer:
Evaggelos Karalis

Advertising Managers:
JSK