The second Ex Machina International Festival of Ancient Theatre is scheduled for May 2 and 3 at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv, according to organizers from the Ognyan Radev Ancient Theatre. The festival program will showcase productions originating from Bulgaria, Italy, and Greece. The opening ceremony will be led by a representative of the Roman Senate, Salvo Pogliese.
Organizers stated that “Antiquity is modern, and ancient Greek theatre is young,” emphasizing that the theatrical mask remains vibrant and will unite numerous young artists and international visitors. This year, the festival places a specific focus on Academia. Furthermore, following a cooperation agreement with the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, the first seminar on ancient theatre for the Academy’s students is planned for May after the festival concludes.
Students from Plovdiv’s Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts will participate in the festival team once again. A central feature of the program is the staging of “Phaedo by Plato,” directed by Kris Sharkov, which presents Plato’s concepts with a contemporary interpretation. The production credits include Stanislava Kirilova and Radoslav Iliev for the text, Ilina Grozeva for set design, Hristo Namliev for music, and Eli Kiril Koleva for actor coaching.
This production is supported by the Sofia Municipality’s Culture program. Other featured performances include Italy’s “In Praise of Folly,” Greece’s “Helen by Euripides,” and two Bulgarian youth productions, “Prometheus” and “Hades and Persephone.”
The performances on May 2 will conclude with the festival jury presenting awards, followed by a wine tasting from the Balkan International Wine Competition. The festival will wrap up on May 3 with “Urban Labyrinth,” an interactive and semiotic game designed to explore architectural and urban symbols within Plovdiv’s Old Town.
The Ex Machina festival is part of an international network of ancient theatres, collaborating with partners in Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.
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