Loula Anagnostaki

Loula Anagnostaki (1931-2017, documentation: NLG) was born in Thessaloniki and was the younger sister of the poet Manolis Anagnostakis. She made her theatrical debut in 1965 with the trilogy of the city ("The Overnight Stay," "The City," "The Parade"), presented as a single performance at the Art Theatre by Karolos Koun. In February 1967, her three-act play "The Gathering" was staged by the National Theatre, directed by Leonidas Trivizas. This was followed by "Antonio or the Message" (1972), "The Victory" (1978), "The Cassette" (1982), and "The Sound of the Gun" (1987), all at the Art Theatre, directed by Karolos Koun. In 1990, the Jenny Karezi - Kostas Kazakos troupe presented the play "Diamonds and Blues," directed by Vasilis Papavasileiou. In 1995, "The Long Journey" was staged by the Art Theatre, directed by Mimi Kouyoumtzis. In 1998, the one-act play "The Sky is Deep Red" was presented by the National Theatre, directed by Victor Arditti, and in 2003, the play "To You Who Hear Me" was staged by the New Stage, directed by Lefteris Vogiatzis. Her works have also been presented by other troupes in Athens and the provinces (Regional Municipal Theatre), as well as abroad (France, directed by Antoine Vitez, Italy, England, Germany, Cyprus, Spain, USA, etc.). A creator of a distinctive writing style, Loula Anagnostaki captured in her works the internal landscape of the modern Greek and its transformations under the influence of history. She addressed the major themes of the post-war period in Greece, such as trauma, guilt, loneliness, and defeat. Observing the evolution of modern Greek society even after the political changeover, she explored the entrapment of individuals and societies, the dead ends of the modern world, loneliness, lack of communication, and the individual's sense of suffocation. She followed her own creative, solitary path, investing particularly in the musical dimension of her language, which enhanced its dramatic quality and scope. She was the partner of the writer and professor of psychiatry Giorgos Cheimonas (1938-2000) and the mother of the writer Thanasis Cheimonas. She passed away in Athens on October 8, 2017, and her funeral at the First Cemetery was held at public expense.