Thanos Kotsopoulos
Actor, Director, Playwright
He was born in Russia in October 1911 to parents of Greek decent (Lakonia) and moved to Greece just before the October Revolution of 1917. He graduated from the Athens University School of Law (1931) and the National Theater Drama School (1932). At the same time he was working at the General State Archives, along with Giannis Vlachogiannis and Fotos Politis. He was hired by the National Theater of Greece in 1932 and by 1966 he had participated as actor in 147 productions, in a very wide repertory of works, including: ancient tragedy, 19th century urban theater and works by modern Greek playwrights. He participated in National Theater tours abroad (England 1939, Egypt 1948, US 1952, Paris). In 1946 he was appointed professor at the National Theater Drama School, becoming its director in 1962. He translated plays and directed several productions, while he was also a theater critic with newspapers To Ethnos and I Vradyni. In addition, he starred in productions by Kostis Basias’ Theatro Athinon, Katerinas Theater troupe and Manolidou/Papas/Kostopoulos troupe. During the period 1967-1973 he was director and protagonist in productions by the National Theater of Northern Greece, including: Abraham's sacrifice, Agamemnon, Macbeth, King Lear, The Miser [L'Avare] and Erotokritos. He participated in film and television productions (The Shepherdess' Lover [O agapitikos tis voskopoulas], Electra, Thirst for Life [Dipsa gia zoi], That’s how my life ended [Etsi esvise I zoi mou], etc.). From 1974 onwards he taught in drama schools and in 1978 he was appointed director with the Arma Thespidos (Chariot of Thespis) Theater company. He wrote the plays The war is over/O polemos teleiose (First summer award), Relief (O lytromos), This is not Mexico (Edo den einai Mexiko), Atreides, etc. He also served as member of the Greek Association of Playwrights. He worked with the GNO once, in 1955, when he participated as Narrator in the production Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex (Odeon of Herodes Atticus, 1955). He died in Athens on 18/3/1993.