Pelos (Pelopidas) Katselis
Actor, Director
He was born in Nazilli, Asia Minor in 1907. He studied at the University of Athens School of Law and at the Professional School of Drama under Fotos Politis. As a student he published works in youth magazines and later he collaborated as a critic and columnist with various journals (Empros, Ellinika Grammata, Epitheorisi Technis, Neoellinika Grammata, etc.). He made his acting debut while still a student and as a founding member of the Drama Student Club. He continued his theater studies in Austria (Vienna, 1933) and Germany (Munich, Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt, 1937-1939). When in Germany he worked as a correspondent for newspaper I Kathimerini. He published two studies on Shakespeare’s plays (1933, 1943). He debuted as a director with Tolstoy’s The Living Corpse (1929). During 1939-1941 he was head and director of the touring theater company “Arma Thespidos” of the National Theater of Greece. In addition to the National Theater, he collaborated with the National Theater of Northern Greece, the Greek Actors’ Union theater company “Arma Theatrou” and other independent troupes. He also worked for the national radio (1946-1949) and extended his activities to writing and journalism. He was Artistic Advisor of the “Elliniki Periigitiki Leschi” [The Greek Rambler’s Club] (1951-1959). He taught at the Royal Theater, the drama school of the National Theater (1941-46), the Stavrakos School of Cinema and Theater (1956). In 1957 he founded a Drama School where he taught until the end of his life. During 1950-77 he directed 17 operas and operettas at the GNO, in a total of 28 new productions or revivals, many of which were presented for the first time in Greece: Bluebird’s Castle, [A Kékszakállú herceg vára], The Marriage of Figaro [Le nozze di Figaro], The Queen of Spades, The Shadowy Waters [Ta xotika nera], Spring’s Tale [Anoixiatiko paramythi], The Mother’s Ring [To dachtylidi tis manas], The Princess of Sasson [I pringipissa tis Sassonos], The Barber of Seville [Il barbiere di Siviglia], etc.