- The Gulukhtani from Smyrna,
- 2018
- 4 male - 3 female
Playwright: Tania Charokopou
- On Saturday, 15 September 1922, in Smyrna, before the city’s complete destruction, Gerasimos, a songwriter and singer of Smyrna songs, tries to preserve some of the music of his time by placing the scores in a glass jar, known as a gkioulouchtani, which he intends to lower into the well at his home. His wife, Maritsa, does not believe that the unrest will spread and tries to dissuade him. Gerasimos describes the scenes he witnessed earlier at the harbour and urges her to gather the essentials for themselves and their daughter so that they can leave their home… and Smyrna. Eighty years later, a construction company in Smyrna discovers the jar in the well. Using the information found inside after breaking it open, and with the help of the Greek embassy in Smyrna, they pass its contents on to Gerasimos’s great-grandson, Ionas, a well-known traditional singer and composer in Athens. Ionas’s friends and band members have gathered at his home to rehearse for an upcoming concert. Among them is Azarias, an Armenian musician and his closest friend. They play the oud, the tzouras and the santouri, and all join in singing. Ionas tells them about his great-grandfather’s scores and documents, which were handed over to him by the embassy, and recounts his ancestors’ story. He reads aloud the letter found in the jar, which reveals the tragic hours before the destruction. Together, they try out the songs preserved in the jar and learn the stories behind their creation. They decide to dedicate their concert to the anniversary of the destruction of Smyrna and include the recovered songs in their repertoire. Moved by the old Smyrna songs, Azarias sings traditional Armenian songs. As the play unfolds, a startling secret emerges, linking Azarias’s family history to Ionas’s. Gerasimos’s daughter was the only member of her family to survive and reach Athens. She was pregnant by an Armenian neighbour, who was also Azarias’s grandfather… Through the contents of the jar, a group of musicians discovers the events surrounding the destruction of Smyrna. The play is also a story of love and awakening, with songs that celebrate the history of courageous fighters for freedom who preserved their traditions intact and kept alive their dream of returning to their lost homeland.