Japan/Greece Joint Symposium

The World of Comedy - Tradition of Greece and Japan

Date/Time:  June 3rd, 2005, at 12:30-16:30

Place:  Sendai War Reconstruction Memorial Hall

Organizers:  The Classical Society of Japan / The Embassy of Greece

Program

Addresses（12:30～12:45）

The Chairman of the Committee of the CSJ Katsutoshi Uchiyama 　

Ambassador of Greece Kyriakos Rodoussakis

Presentation (12:50-15:00)

12：50～13：30

Martin Ciesko: “Mischievous man in Greek Comedy and swindler in Kyogen ” (comical Japanese Theater) – in Japanese

13:35～14：15

Theophanes Joh. Kakridis, Professor Emeritus at the University of Ioannina:

 “Interpreting the Greek Theatrical Edifice” – in English

14:20～15：00

Nikos C. Hourmouziades, Professor Emeritus at the University of Thessaloniki: “Aristophanes’ journey on the modern Greek stage and a personal experiment”  - in English

Discussion（15:00～15：30）

Kyogen Theater（15:40～16:20）

“Suwou otoshi” performed by Chuzaburo Shigeyama and others

Non-members’ attendance is welcome (admission free)

For inquiries, please contact the CSJ Secretariat Office （075-753-2821.　 i54241@sakura.kudpc.kyoto-u.ac.jp）

Biographical Notes

Theophanes Joh. Kakridis

born in Athens (1933), studied Classical Philology at the Universities of Thessaloniki (Ph.D. 1960), Mainz and Tuebingen, where he served as Lecturer in Modern and Ancient Greek language (1959-1964).
In 1964 he was elected Professor of Classical Philology in the newly founded University of Ioannina (Epirus), where he served until his retirement (2000). He also acted as President of the State Scholarship Foundation and as Vice President of the Pedagogic Institute of the Ministry of Education.

His main scientific interests focus on Epic Poetry from Homer (The Parataxis of Substantives in Homer and the Homeric Hymns, 1960) to the late poets of the Greco-roman Period (Quintus Smyrnaeus, 1962) and Attic drama, in particular Comedy (Aristophanes : The Birds, edited with Introduction and Commentary, 1974).
Besides his academic career, Th. K. has been active as a columnist and as President if the Center of Odyssean Studies of Ithaka.

Married, three children
Foreign languages : German, French, English. 

Nikos C. Hourmouziades

was born Thessaloniki, Greece. After his graduation (1952) from the Classics Department of the University of Thessaloniki, he pursued his studies (1961-3), on post-graduate level,  at  the University College of London University, where he obtained his Ph.D, and later (1966-7) at the Center for Hellenic Studies (Washington D.C., U.S.A.), where he finally decided to focus his interest on ancient Greek drama, tragedy and satirical play, in particular. The result of his research work is the following books:

A. 1. "Production and Imagination in Euripides: Form and function of the
scenic space", 1965.

2. "Satyrica" , 1974. 

3. "Terms and transformations in  Greek tragedy",  1984. 

4. "Euripides Satyricus", 1986 

5. "About Greek Chorus: The group element in ancient Greek drama", 1999. 

6. "Theatrical Courses", 2004
 

B. Ancient Greek texts, translated, with extensive introduction and commentary:

1. "Euripides'  Elektra", 1991.

2.  "Euripides’ Andromache". 1994.

3. "Anthologia  Palatina: Love Epigrams", 1999.       

4."Euripides’  Phoenissae", 2000.

N.C.H. started his career from the Secondary Education, as a teacher of Classics at two schools: Anatolia College of Thessaloniki (7 years) and Moraitis School of Athens (3 years). From 1971 up to 2000, as University professor, he taught at:         

1. Department of Classics, University of Thessaloniki (1971-88).      

2. Department of Classics, University of Crete (1978-9).                 

3. Department of Drama Studies, University of Athens (1990-2).   

4. Drama Department, University of Thessaloniki (1993-2000).

His deep love for the theatre has been also manifested in his involvement with various related activities: For 9 years he served as Chairman of The Directory Board and The Artistic Committee as well as Artistic Director of the State Theatre of Northern Greece. Starting in 1980, he has also tried his hand on play-directing, with 25 productions
so far (5 with the State Theatre and 20 with Experimental Stage, a subsidized group of  Thessaloniki) both of classical and modern plays, Greek as well as foreign (among them Euripides, Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Goldoni, Ibsen, Chekhov, Brecht, Becket, Pinter, Mishima a.o.). For some of them he also worked on their translation (from Ancient Greek, English, French and Italian).

Martin Ciesko

Born in Slovakia in 1973. Completed the master course’s of Classical studies in 1997 and the master’s course of Japanese language in 1999 at the University of Comenius, Brastilava. Completed the doctor’s course of the Classical studies at the Oxford University in 2000. Currently, studying at the doctor course (Classical studies) at the Kyoto University.

D. Phil. Thesis:  Menander and the Expectations of his Audience (Oxford 2005)

“The Stage House in Greek New Comedy”. Graecolatina et Orientalia 27/28, 31-45

About

“About the novel style of performance in new comedy and its repeatability” (written in Japanese), Journal of Classical Studies 53, 46-57 (The Classical Society of Japan).

Chuzaburo Shigeyama

Born in 1928.  Debut at the performances of “Narihiramochi” and “Utsubozaru” in 1932.  Succeeded the name of Chuzaburo Shigeyama the 4^th in 1965.  Inaugurated “Chuzaburo Shigeyama – Association of Kyogen” in 1979.  Received the “Osaka Cultural Prize” in 1992.  Received the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Cultural Prize and the Order of Merit in 1994. Received the Art Festival Grand Prize of the Cultural Agency in 2001. Decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

Performed in various countries such as Vatican, China, U.S.A., Australia, Canada, etc.

Summary of the Kyogen Theater

Story of the “Suwou Otoshi (dropping suwou)”

A master has suddenly decided to leave to pay homage at the Ise Shrine. Since he promised his uncle to visit the shrine together, the master sent his servant Taro-kaja to his uncle’s house to convey his invitation.  The servant Taro-kaja was told not to accept sake that may be offered there, but he drank a lot against his master’s order and got himself a farewell present “suwou (formal clothes)” from the uncle to his master.  On the way back, Taro-kaja in high spirits came across with his master who was anxious and looked for Taro-kaja.  While the master was asking about his uncle’s reply, Taro-kaja dropped the suwou…