Theatre

“FOOLS” at the ALIKI Theatre

The comic fable “FOOLS” of the American playwright Neil Simon

The comic fable “FOOLS” of the American playwright Neil Simon, translated by Errikos Belies and directed by Petros Filippides, is being presented at the children-teenagers’ stage of ALIKI Theatre of Athens, since 29.11.2014.

It is a funny, fresh, witty and warm story, which is being evolved in the small village Kulyenchikov of Ukraine, at the end of 19th century, when the schollteacher Leon Tolchinsky undertakes to educate Sophia, the daughter of Dr. Zubritsky and Lenya. The teacher finds out that the village has been cursed with chronic stupidity for 2 centuries. Will the teacher succeed in breaking the curse, by educating the young Sophia (with whom he falls in love), within a day, before he also becomes stupid? And what about the remaining villagers?..

Nikos Kouris and Jenny Theona are starring at the roles of the teacher and Sophia respectively, together with Theodore Katsafados, Orfeus Papadopoulos and Helen Ouzounidou.

Neil Simon wrote the play in 1981 and soon afterwards it was staged on Broadway for just a few (40) performances. It is said that the play was a result of an agreement between the author and his second wife Marsha Mason during their divorce proceedings. Neil Simon promised her the profits of that play, as he attempted to write a play that would not last on Broadway. In 1990 it was adapted into a musical entitled KULYENCHIKOV.  

THE ARTBASSADOR has licenced the stage performances of the play, in greek language, on behalf of the Agent of the author, INTERNATIONAL AUTHORS SOCIETY.

More information about the greek performances here

 

About the author:

Neil Simon was born in 1927 in New York. He has written more than 30, very successful, plays and about the same number of movie screenplays, which are mostly adaptations of those plays. In 1983 he became the first living playwright, who had a New York theatre named after him (Neil Simon theatre, former Alvin Theatre). In 1965 he won the TONY Award of the best playwright for his play THE ODD COUPLE and in 1975 he was given a special TONY Award for his overall contribution to the American theatre. In 1991 he won the PULITZER and TONY Awards for his play LOST IN YONKERS. His writing style is exceptional in farce comedy, romantic, but also serious dramatic comedy.

More information about the author and the play here