Theatre Company Mneme

The background

Theatre Company Mneme was founded by Michalis Virvidakis. It appeared for the first time in Athens, May 1992, with four short-length plays of William Butler Yeats, in a unified performance, in the theatre of the old printing-house of Embros. The plays were: The Shadowy Waters, A Full Moon in March, The Cat and the Moon, Purgatory. The performance had the general title: William Butler Yeats - A Vision. In March 1994, the company presented the theatrical play of Frank Wedekind, Death and Devil at the upper circle of Amore Theatre and in October 1998, the theatrical play of Fernando Pessoa, The Sailor in the theatre of Kykladon street.

In May 2001, Theatre Company Μneme carried for the first time its artistic activities from Athens to Chania, Crete, and presented with the actors of the Laboratory of Theatre Education and Dramatic Art of Michalis Virvidakis, the play of Harold Pinter, The Lover, in the "Theatre opposite the museum", Halidon street 27, a place which was specially formed to accommodate the performance and its audience.

In 2002 Theatre Company Mneme restored and alternated into a fifty-seat theatre an old urban house in the center of the city of Chania, Ipsilanton street 12, in order to use it as the basis of its activities. The theatre was named Theatre Kydonia.

Theatre Kydonia was inaugurated on November 27, 2002, with the play of David Mamet, Oleana. Actors from the Laboratory of Theatre Education and Dramatic Art took part in the performance.

In May 2003 the company presented the play of Samuel Beckett, End Game extracting the praise of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Culture for the quality of the performance.

On February 17th, 2004, Theatre Company Mneme was granted the State Award of the Union of Theatre Critics 2003, for "its persistence to create in the city of Chania a stable point of theatrical and spiritual reference", in a ceremony that took place in the Mansion of Music in Athens, room of Dimitris Mitropoulos.

In April 2004 the company presented the play of the Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard, Before the Retreat gaining excellent reviews from Athenian critics.

In February 2005 it presented the comedy of Carl Sternheim, Underpants.

In June 2005 it presented for the first time in Greece three novellas of Antonio Tabucchi under the general title: Three Unimportant Stories with no Result in the presence of the writer himself at the opening of the play. With these plays the company toured in Athens and Heraklion, Crete.

In March 2006 it presented for the first time in Greece the play of Thomas Bernhard, The Reformer of the World, also presented in July in Athens, in the Theatre of Art of Frinihou Street at the invitation of The Athens Festival.

In June 2006, it presented a theatre performance based on a text of the Chanean poet Eleni Marinaki, under the title "The Nights I Descend into Dreams".

In January 2007 it presented for the first time in Greece a theatre performance based on the novel of Ingeborg Bachmann, The Franza Case.

In June 2007 it presented a theatre performance based on several texts of the poet George Manousakis, under the title "Our Dark Basement".

In February 2008 Theatre Company Mneme presented for the first time in Greece the play of Jon Fosse, And we'll Never Be Parted.

In June 2008, it presented a theatre performance based on several poems of the Chanean poet Leonidas Kakaroglou, under the title "Tinted Glass".

In February 2009, it presented for the first time in Greece a theatre performance based on the play of Peter Handke, Underground Blues.

In May 2009, it presented two theatre performances based on the writings of the Greek writer and poet Argiris Chionis. The first based on his play, The Message, and the second, which was presented under the name Apartment rain, based on 32 poems and two pantomimes of his.

In April 2010, it presented for the first time in Greece the first part of Lars Noren's play, Nattvarden (The Last Supper).
In December 2010, it presented a theatre performance based on the play of the Chanean architect and writer Aristidis Antonas, The buildings.

In April 2011, it presented the second version of the first part of Lars Noren's play, Nattvarden (The Last Supper).

In November 2011, it will be presenting the second part of Lars Noren's play, Nattvarden (The Last Supper).