at the Piraeus 131 Theater
The hilarious comedy *Tis Kakomiras* ( widely known as*OBakalogatos*), directed by Dinos Katsouridis (1963) is probably the most popular comedy in Greek cinema and is based on the play of the same name by Christos and Giorgos Giannakopoulos. The one-liners fired off at machine-gun speed by Ziko—played by Kostas Hatzichristos, in perhaps the best role of his career—have remained timeless and relevant! This ambitious production is being presented at the Piraeus 131 Theater, in a groundbreaking musical adaptation directed by Giorgos Valaris, who returns to his familiar and successful genre of adapting Greek cinema films, featuring the beloved Yannis Zouganelis in the title role of“Zikos”and a cast of well-known actors. Joining them is the great Giorgos Armenis in the role of the grocer!
PLOT
Zikos is a clever and cheerful country boy from Karpenisi who works as a clerk at Pantelis’s grocery store. He is in love with the beautiful young Fifikas, who pretends to reciprocate his feelings, when in reality she loves Kitsaras. Although Pantelis is getting on in years, he has his eye on Fifikas’s young friend, Litsa. Zikos constantly teases him about his choice, but he doesn’t let it get to him, and together with Mrs. Despoina, the matchmaker, arranges the engagement in consultation with Litsa’s father but without her knowledge, and they decide to announce it on her birthday. As soon as Litsa finds out, she is distraught; she locks herself in her room and tries to sneak off with her beloved, Argyris. However, their plan is discovered at the last minute by Mrs. Despoina, and they all end up at Litsa ’s house, where they are “caught in the act.” At that point, Litsa’s father, Mr. Manolis, agrees to give her to Argyris, while Kitsaras, not wanting to miss the opportunity presented by the presence of Fifikas’s father, asks for and successfully wins her hand.
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
As time goes by, I feel an even stronger need to work in the field I love so much, the theater, following my instincts and, each time, taking on the kinds of plays that express who I am at that particular moment—always prioritizing collaborations with artists with whom I share a common language, whom I appreciate and feel close to. Our common ground is always respect, quality, and honesty toward the audience —as well as the joy we so desperately need in this post-COVID era! My decision to stage what is perhaps the most popular comedy in Greek cinema, with live music on stage—thus highlighting the “rock” essence of “Bakalogatos, ”stems from my need—after such a difficult period during the pandemic—to once again serve a genre I love dearly, comedy —with a team of great actors and collaborators by my side, led by my favorite “rock” Yiannis Zouganelis, whom I believe, with his explosive personality, is the ideal embodiment of a role that defined the career of our great comedian Kostas Hatzichristos and the joy of collaborating with our leading actor, Giorgos Armenis! Rightly so, “Bakalogatos, or The Poor Girl”is considered one of the greatest and most commercially successful films in Greek cinema, as it is imbued with an astonishing performance in which the late comedian improvised extensively,based on the play by Giorgos and Christos Giannakopoulos and the screenplay by Dinos Katsouridis. Essentially, it is a comic portrait of a tormented yet hopeful era, nostalgic and imbued with the explosive temperament of a character who He perfectly embodies every resourceful modern Greek who strives to survive and stand out , armed with a fiery, explosive temperament, cleverness, and sass, never hesitating to pursue his dreams of love and a life full of hope!
