The Philosophical Theatre of Theodosis Pelegrinis

Authors

  • Despina Kosmopoulou University of the Peloponnese, Open University of Greece, Greece Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37130/8n9tqc06

Keywords:

Theodosis Pelegrinis, philosophy, philosophical theatre, post-dramatic theatre, Descartes, Sartre, Bergson, Spinoza, comparative method

Abstract

Theodosis Pelegrinis, whose most recent works are the subject of this study, is considered a restless spirit of his time, a multifarious personality unafraid to venture into a multitude of fields simultaneously. His love for philosophy and contemplation of humanity and the world represents the driving force behind his every endeavour. His study of the lives, writings, and theories of ancient and modern philosophers serves as a source of inspiration and the main material for writing articles, philosophical essays, and theatrical plays. At the same time, Pelegrinis’ involvement in theatre naturally derived from his philosophical and spiritual quests, which sought the practical harmonisation of the art of drama with philosophy. The aim of this study is to demonstrate, through the presentation of four new plays by Pelegrinis, the intrinsic relationship between theatre and philosophy as interconnected and complementary domains. His works – The Girl- King: and the Inglorious End of Descartes1, Lens Maintainer: The Living Profession of Baruch/ Benedict Spinoza2, The Fatal Exit of Professor Henri Bergson3, and Accidental Loves: and Some Other Aspects of the Life and Work of the Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre4 – will serve as the basis for a brief yet in-depth review of the philosophical theatre, its history, and its main principles, and, ultimately, through a comparative analysis, as an assessment of whether the theatrical work of Pelegrinis meets the requirements of the philosophical theatre.

Author Biography

  • Despina Kosmopoulou, University of the Peloponnese, Open University of Greece, Greece

    Dr. Despina Kosmopoulou was born in Athens and graduated from the Faculty of Letters at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She holds a PhD from the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, and she is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Theatre Studies of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as in the Department of Philology of the University of the Peloponnese. Additionally, Dr. Kosmopoulou is also an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Theatrical Studies of the Arts and Crafts School of the University of the Peloponnese and an instructor at the Hellenic Open University in the Postgraduate Programme of Performing Arts.

    Dr. Kosmopoulou’s main field of study is theatre studies, with a focus on world theatre, modern European theatre, comparative drama, and the reception of ancient drama based on theatre and drama theory. She has authored four books: Pirandello and Genet, a ‘Meeting’ in the Tragic and the Absurd (2017, Athens: Dromon); Space Dialectics and Confinement in the Theatre (2018, Athens: Dromon); Τheatrical Writing and Theory of Semiotics (2020, Athens: Dromon); The reception of ancient drama on the modern stage: the case of Wajdi Mouawad (forthcoming, Athens: Herodotus).

References

Angelaki, V. (2008) Theatres of Thought: Theatre, Performance and Philosophy (edited by Daniel Watt Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Dimitroulia, T. (2012) «Ο καθρέφτης των αισθήσεων και των ψευδαισθήσεων» in Marivaux, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de (ed.) Η Φιλονικία (translation: Efstathiadis, M.). Athens: New Stage of Art/Theatre of the New World. [Translated title: ‘The Mirror of Sensations and Illusions’ in The Dispute]

Pavis, P. (2006) Λεξικό του θεάτρου (translation: Georgousopoulou, E.). Athens: Gutenberg. [Translated title: Dictionary of the theatre]

Pefanis, G. (2013) Περιπέτειες της αναπαράστασης : σκηνές της θεωρίας II. Athens: Παπαζήσης. [Translated title: Adventures of representation: scenes of theory II]

---------- (2015) «Φιλοσοφίες της σκηνής / σκηνές της φιλοσοφίας. Σκιαγράφηση μιας Θεατροφιλοσοφίας,” ΠΑΡΑΒΑΣΙΣ, 13.2, pp. 18-42. [Translated title: ‘Philosophies of the Scene/Scenes of Philosophy. Outline of a Theatre-Philosophy’]

---------- (2016) Θιασώτες και φιλόσοφοι: Σκιαγράφηση μιας θεατροφιλοσοφίας. Athens: Παπαζήσης. [Translated title: Spectators and Philosophers: Outline of a Theatre-Philosophy]

Pelegrinis, T. (2020) Το κορίτσι – βασιλιάς: και το άδοξο τέλος του Καρτέσιου. Athens: Παπαζήσης. [Translated title: The Girl-King: and the Inglorious End of Descartes]

---------- (2022a) Συντηρητής φακών: Το επάγγελμα βιοπορισμού του φιλόσοφου Μπαρούχ/ Βενέδικτου Σπινόζα. Athens: Παπαζήσης. [Translated title: Lens Maintainer: The Living Profession of Baruch/Benedict Spinoza]

---------- (2022b) Η μοιραία έξοδος του καθηγητού Ανρί Μπερξόν, Παπαζήσης, Athens. [Translated title: The Fatal Exit of Professor Henri Bergson]

---------- (2022c) Τυχαίοι έρωτες: και κάποιες άλλες πτυχές της ζωής και του έργου του υπαρξιστή Ζαν Πωλ Σάρτρ. Athens: Παπαζήσης. [Translated title: Accidental Loves: and Some Other Aspects of the Life and Work of the Existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre]

---------- (2021) Λάκης και Μάκης. Athens: Ηρόδοτος. [Translated title: Lakis and Makis]

Petrakou, K. (2015) «Η φιλοσοφία στη σκηνή και η σκηνή στη φιλοσοφία: το θέατρο του Θεοδόση Πελεγρίνη» in Petrakou, K. (ed.) Σχήματα και Από τον ρομαντισμό στον μεταμοντερνισμό: Δεκαέξι μελετήματα για το νεοελληνικό θέατρο. Athens: Παπαζήσης, pp. 385- 403. [Translated title: ‘Philosophy on the stage and the stage in philosophy: the theatre of Theodosis Pelegrinis’, in her book Shapes and From Romanticism to Postmodernism: Sixteen Studies on Modern Greek Theatre]

Potamianou, E. (2011) Το καρτεσιανό cogito και οι μετασχηματισμοί του στη νεότερη Φιλοσοφία. Athens: Έννοια. [Translated title: The Cartesian cogito and its transformations in modern Philosophy]

Staikos, A. (1991), «Η μεταμφίεση της μεταμφίεσης», Διαβάζω 257 (20.2.1991), pp. 72-73, Athens. [Translated title: “The Disguise of Disguise”]

Pavis, P. (2009) ‘Philosophie et nouveau theatre’, Scenes Critique [Online]. Available at: https://www.critical-stages.org/1/philosophie-et-nouveau-theatre/ (Accessed: 18 May 2022)

Downloads

Published

2023-12-06

How to Cite

Kosmopoulou, D. (2023). The Philosophical Theatre of Theodosis Pelegrinis. CONCEPT, 27(2), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.37130/8n9tqc06