Play: Abandon the Citizens (USA Debut) - Alwan for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor - 646-732-3261
New York, NY 10004
Description: A performance based on the 1922 testimonies of Greek refugees of Asia Minor. Created and performed by Aktina Stathaki and Tina Yotopoulou and Produced by Between the Seas On the 90 year anniversary of the Fire of Izmir, this performance highlights a fascinating and little known part of modern history: the tragic end of the Greco-Turkish war, the expulsion of the Greek population from the Asia Minor coast and the destruction of one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the time. Using rare archival material, the performance brings on stage the powerful, poetic language of the survivors in their own words and asks the question: how can the trauma of history be staged, remembered and overcome?