From Paris to Athens, Danae Epithymiadi’s play ‘All the Time in the World’ is a deeply personal story of memory, grief, and reconciliation-a tender human look at what all people have experienced or will experience. This gifted woman (she writes, acts, directs, and is a theatrologist), recognized by the great director Wajdi Mouawad and already having a significant career path, comes to Greece to share thoughts, anxieties, and quests in a purely personal and unique way.
The Emotional Weight of an Athenian Premiere
The stage action of the current work combines realism and fantasy: video mapping transforms a hospital setting into a watery abyss, where reality and dream intertwine. On the stage of Frinichou, Danae Epithymiadi will portray Christina, while Yannis Karaoulis will embody all other roles beside her.
When asked about the experience of staging her work in France and the process, difficulties, and acceptance, Epithymiadi described it as a unique experience. “All the preparation for the performance took place in Athens with wonderful collaborators who connected very early on with the text and helped me highlight the universe of the play. And because it is largely a personal work, having people who embraced this characteristic but at the same time encouraged me to open up its material to areas I hadn’t imagined while writing it, was a great gift.”
The only difficulty, she noted, stemmed from the insecurity created by her multiple roles in the project. “When we arrived in France, we had two weeks of preparation in the theater until the premiere. We were very anxious to see it in the space for the first time with the set, but there was such organization from the theater that everything clicked immediately. We played 12 performances there, which went very well, and it was our great joy that a performance so heavily reliant on language and played in a foreign language for the French, had such an impact.”
Epithymiadi admitted that staging the play in Athens carried even greater emotional weight for her. “Perhaps because here we know each other, and there is a degree of exposure in this particular performance that differentiates this work from my previous projects. At the same time, my impatience to share this work in my home country was great.”
The premiere in France was in January 2024, so when rehearsals resumed for the Frinichou presentation, almost two years had passed. “This time proved very valuable both in terms of how much the material had matured within us and for me personally, as a distance had been created through which I managed to approach the text as something beyond myself. To enter it almost independently of my personal relationship with it.”
Delving into Emotions and Memories
Both Epithymiadi and Karaoulis shared their personal experiences with the emotional depth of the play. Danae stated, “Personally, I had no problem finding these emotions, but rather managing them. I feel good about the process because, both in the final stages of writing and in the performance, I feel that I have somewhat separated my personal experience from the performance, while maintaining a living connection to it to the extent that it is functional for me. Nevertheless, through my involvement with such a sensitive topic, many personal memories related to my own trauma are brought to the fore, as the mother-child relationship comes into focus. It is certainly no coincidence that my transition from actress to director and writer coincided with the moment I became a mother.”
Yannis Karaoulis added, “It is truly a deeply tender work that touches on themes of loss, relationship with parents, coming of age-themes that concern all of us. For me, the emotional weight certainly arose through the love and friendship that connects us with Danae, as the work-if I may say so-is deeply personal for her. It was double the joy, therefore, to be a fellow traveler on the journey of this performance, as a colleague actor and as a friend.”
He further elaborated on his multi-role performance: “My part, the multiple roles within the work, had a different kind of journey of searching and digging, regarding the interpretation. Beyond being distinct from each other, it had more to do with the dramaturgical needs of each scene and each role, what new each character brings to the journey of the heroine played by Danae, how he interacts and transacts with her, and how he influences her on this journey into the unconscious and the encounter and reconciliation with the loss of a loved one.”
Rays of Optimism Amidst Grief
Despite the heavy themes, both artists emphasized the optimistic aspects of the play. Danae noted, “The work has much more to do with the love of life than with death; there is something light and redemptive in the way the performance approaches grief. A journey towards light and acceptance. Through video mapping-which allows us to penetrate the personal world of the protagonist Christina-and through her comically unexpected encounters with the six different characters played by Yannis Karaoulis, an eerie universe is created where the audience is invited to dive as deep as they wish.”
Yannis echoed this sentiment: “The work itself, the literary and theatrical distillation of a trauma, of a loss, is optimistic. It proves the redemptive importance of art-and in this case, theatre-not only for its creator who will speak through it, but also for the spectators, the connoisseurs of the performance. Specifically, the work speaks of the need to accept grief and loss as a necessary step to move on, to ‘surface’ and ‘breathe again.’ Within such a thematic framework, the performance often chooses humor and light as necessary means to speak even about the most difficult things.”
Career Milestones and Future Aspirations
Reflecting on their most powerful professional moments, Danae highlighted the creation of ‘All the Time in the World’ and its presentation at the national theatre La Colline in Paris as major invitations. She also cherished her collaboration with Wajdi Mouawad in ‘The Oath of Europe’ at Epidaurus and the play ‘Incendies’ directed by Ios Voulgaraki at the National Theatre of Northern Greece, which introduced her to Mouawad’s work.
Yannis emphasized moments of co-creation, communication, and transcendence shared with beloved and admired colleagues. He values the unique, ephemeral nature of theatre, where each performance is a singular event.
Both artists offered insights into their past and future. Danae wished she could tell her younger self not to worry so much and to have patience. For the future, she hopes to listen to her voice more clearly and choose work that advances her and collaborations that accommodate her without fear.
Yannis expressed contentment with his past choices, believing everything happened for a reason, shaping him as an actor and individual. He still harbors aspirations for collaborations with certain artists and works, viewing them as present possibilities rather than past regrets.
‘All the Time in the World’
Theatre of Art, Frinichou 14, Plaka, tel. 210 323 6732
Text, Direction: Danae Epithymiadi
Dramaturgy, Translation: Vassilis Doganis
Set Design, Costumes: Eva Goulakou
Lighting Design: Eliza Alexandropoulou
Movement Direction: Eleana Georgouli
Original Music, Sound Design: Dimitris Tasainas
Video Art: Olga Sfetsa
Assistant Director: Dimitra Mitropoulou
Second Assistant Director: Evelina Tzoumerkioti
Assistant Set Designer: Elli Papadakis
Voice-over Recording, Editing, Trailer: Panagiotis Delinikolas
Photography: Tuong-Vi Nguyen (France), Hadrien Daudet (Greece)
Starring: Danae Epithymiadi, Yannis Karaoulis
Co-production: National Theatre La Colline, Goen Productions
Source: https://www.news247.gr/politismos/theatro/danai-epithymiadi-eixa-perissoteri-agonia-gia-tin-athina-para-gia-to-parisi/
