Stages Network – Athenian Theaters present Eduardo de Filippo’s comedy “He Who Saves Himself Is Saved,” directed by Tamilla Koulieva and featuring a large cast of leading actors. It is a tender situational comedy brimming with spirit that highlights the warmth and humor of traveling theater troupes—that is, the famous “boukoukia”—who form the roots of modern theater. The show’s set designer, Anna Biza, speaks to the Stages Network camera and to Nikos Thrasyvoulos. She mentions the difficulties inherent in building a set that will, in fact, be on tour. She explains the instructions she received from director Tamilla Koulieva and ultimately presents a set that references both the past and the present.The choice of scaffolding—which essentially serves as the set—came naturally to her as soon as she heard the director’s instructions. She also explains her final decision to present this set and outlines the purposes it serves. She reveals secrets of her work—which is so important for a production—and, among other things, mentions that she studied all the venues the production would visit using satellite photos, in order to assess the functionality of her set design. Concluding the discussion, she emphasizes how easily the set can be transported and, at the same time, explains how its final form is determined, always in collaboration with the set builder.
