WHEN THE GO-GO DANCERS DANCE by Elena Penga. (2002)
CHARACTERS: 1 WOMAN, 1 MAN, 1 GO-GO BOY & 1 GO-GO GIRL
SYNOPSIS
The title refers to something rather romantic. When the stars dance, perhaps. Go-Go dancers are young people who give it all to music. After the recent fragmentation and collapse of Yugoslavia, and the immigrating of its people to foreign cities, two ex-lovers and ex-Yugoslavs meet in Athens. In the vortex of an awakening of physical attraction and feelings of love, they exchange wishes, secrets, memories. The play presents a personal encounter in a public space, during which, and in the presence of go-go dancers dancing, a young woman and a young man evaluate their lives.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
In Greek it played at BOOZE, in Athens, directed by the playwright, in 2002. It also toured to Komotini & Saloniki in Greece.
In 2003, the play has been translated in Dutch, and played in Holland as part of Verse Waar Festival, Breda, Holland. The same production toured Holland in 2004.
In 2019, the play was produced again in a brand new production by Bow Theatre Company directed by Tina Tzatha. It was presented in Athens in February. Due to the pandemic, its performances were cancelled for the months of March until May.
TRANSLATIONS
In Greek it is published by Nefeli Publishers, Athens.
In Dutch it is translated by Hanka DeHaas DeRoos and published in NIEUWE EUROPESE EENAKTARS (Anthology of European One-Acts) by International Theatre & Film Books, Amsterdam, Holland, in 2005.
It has been translated in German by Martin Scharmhorst.
The video that follows has excerpts from the Greek production of 2002 in Booze, Athens, with actors Theodora Tzimou & Nikos Georgakis and dancers Fivos Papadopoulos & Vaso Lykoura.
Elena Penga 