Which Ophelia do you choose?

Shadows

As I was venturing into the dark, yet musical halls of (Late at) Tate Britain the other night an old friend from the past rose from the shadows to welcome me.
Of course both of us knew that she had never left.

                                         Photo by Antigoni Spanou

I am still here

No she hasn't died. She's fast asleep but always dreaming of her Hamlet, the moment he will come for her, like in a fairy-tale, like a new-born Sleeping Beauty.

"I will awake. My time has come."

my Ophelia

First steps

On the 12th of May 2011, Bob Theatre Festival was running a Scratch Night contest at Chora Theatre in Athens. The format was for 8 newly-formed groups to present a 15-minute long fraction of an idea they had for a performance, after which the audience would vote for their favourite which would appear as a full performance in the next year's Bob Theatre Festival.
After 2 years of collaboration, research and producing material, text and images it felt like the right time for my Ophelia to make an appearance. And she did; and even though it was only for 15 minutes and during troubled times, I am nevertheless proud for her first steps that were long overdue.
And the result?
The practical result was that "Οφέλια Unplugged" (the title for my 15-minute presentation) was voted 6th out of 8.
But beyond that it was very interesting to experience the reaction of the audience, which was not what I had imagined. But then again you can never anticipate that?
For me the result was to pause and revisit, rethink and re-evaluate.
How can you give freedom to the audience and then having to take it away?
What is the line between happiness and despair and in what way do you cross it?
How can you discover the life in a pure-formatted text?
All these are questions that I need to answer anew or find the strength to support my already-formed answers.

Those were the first steps. Now the aim is to walk the distance.

Beautiful body

There is an amazing photographer called Izima Kaoru who has a series of photographs called "Landscape with a corpse".
I find his images enchanting, a most beautiful death that anyone would wish for.
Such a poetry and tranquility within such a horrid subject.
Gorgeous women in lavish clothes in idyllic locations; and yet they are dead. But even so, we stand over them, admiring them, perhaps wishing we were them.

Could this be Ophelia?

Photo source: http://starrydeloneli.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Photo source: http://www.phillipsdepury.com/auctions/lot-detail/-IZIMA-KAORU/UK000109/141/12/1/12/detail.aspx

Or perhaps this one?

Photo source: http://elogedelart.canalblog.com/archives/2009/03/01/12768198.html

Some serious questions

Who does an idea belong to? Or perhaps can an idea belong to anyone?
Can a character have an owner? And if anyone were to claim that role, wouldn't that be the writer who gave birth to him?
Is it impossible for two people in the whole world to have the same interest, the same curiosity, the same passion for a character?
Are all Ophelias the same? I think yes.
Are all Ophelias different? I am definitely sure they are.

I began this project to find my own Ophelia, not anyone else's. During my journey I have encountered many other Ophelias, and I looked at them, I admired them, I was happy that they existed, but never have I tried to immitate them.
I am me and I respect myself and my inspirations. And in doing so, I push myself and I acknowledge my inspirations.
And they are all here for all to see.

último momento