FROM INVISIBILITY TO VISIBILITY. BIOGRAPHY AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE FOR THE RISE OF THE ACTOR’S PROFESSION IN GREECE (FROM THE 19th CENTURY TO THE 1930’s). THEORETICAL ASPECTS, EUROPEAN ENCOUNTERS AND BIOGRAPHICAL GENRES
Constantina GEORGIADI, Tania NEOFYTOU, Vania PAPANIKOLAOU, Maria SEHOPOULOU
Institute for Mediterranean Studies, Open University of Cyprus, University of Patras, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Creece, Cyprus
Abstract: The present paper investigates the biographies of actors published in the periodical press of Greece and Greek communities abroad, from the independence of the nation state (1830) to the 1930’s. One of the main bibliographical and historiographical problems a researcher of the history of Greek Modern Theatre has to face is the insufficient –almost non-existent– information about the fleeting work of actors. The current research aims at contributing to the history of acting and finding answers to questions such as: how the profession of the actor in Greece and in Europe evolves during the 19th century and how this significant change is reflected in the Greek periodical press.
Keywords: Theatre Research, Actors, Biography, History of Acting, 19th – 20th Century Periodical Press