In her first interview following her appointment, Marina Maleni spoke about her goals as General Director of the Cyprus Theater Organization from the studio of the “Alpha Summer” show.
She noted that the CTO had been without a general director for 13 years, resulting in gaps, despite the “very, very earnest and commendable efforts of the boards of directors, of the respective boards of directors from time to time, and of the artistic director who had been appointed for a specific period.”
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“We are currently in a period of transition in many ways. We have new leadership, a newly constituted board of directors—since members have been reappointed or new members appointed to our board—and we also have a new deputy minister. So this is a new era for THOK. I consider it a fresh start, even though I was there before; I’m in a different role now, because I was previously involved in theater development; I wasn’t involved with the stages, and I wasn’t involved with many of the things THOK deals with.”
“I know where the organization stands today; we know—or at least have a good idea—of where we want it to go, and it won’t take that long to bring someone new up to speed who would come in and have to learn the ropesfrom scratch,” she says. When asked where THOK wants to go, she replies:
“We want it to be an organization that is loved even more by its audience, one that can make a difference in the way our society functions or in the way our society perceives things, to be more inclusive, to be more accessible, to listen and be attuned to the needs of the audience and to give back to the audience what it wants, but also something more to spark that change we always want theater to bring about—a change that isn’t just entertainment, as we know all too well. Theater is so many things. We also want it to have a voice and a platform in international forums, and this is something we’ve already made progress on through our participation in the European Theater Summit, on whose Board of Directors I have the pleasure and honor of serving, which allows me to stay closely attuned to what is happening in Europe and in European theaters, and to work in close collaboration with the European Union. So we want THOK to be the third Greek-language state theater, with the same prestige and the same appreciation and love from the public both here and abroad, and in Greece, of course.”
Regarding THOK’s participation in the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, he states that this was a goal set by the Board of Directors and is now becoming a reality, with THOK presenting the play “Ion”—which had completed its run in Cyprus over the summer—directed by Thomas Moschopoulos.
“He has given us a truly fascinating production that balances between the tragic and the comic.”
She invited theatergoers, if they have the opportunity, to visit the ancient theater of Epidaurus to enjoy not only the performance but also the magical atmosphere of the venue.
She clarified that the season’s repertoire had already been decided before her appointment, with the season opening with a revival of the production beloved by audiences, “Murder on the Orient Express.”
“I know that a great many people didn’t get a chance to see it, so they’ll have the opportunity; we’ll start with this, and they’ll be able to see this wonderful production.”
When asked about the goal of decentralization, Ms. Maleni states that THOK strives to tour all regions of Cyprus, wherever possible.
“Furthermore, the goal of decentralization is being achieved in other ways as well; that is, the outgoing Board of Directors, but the President continues, had committed to establishing branches in other regions as well—such as Ayia Napa, Larnaca, and Koureio. In addition, we have programs underway, for example, in the mountainous regions, where we’re trying to reach areas that don’t have as many opportunities and to highlight the region’s identity through theatrical activities. Here, I must mention our collaboration with the Commissioner for Mountainous Regions and the Committee on Culture, which really helped us launch this pilot program last year, and we want to continue it this year as well. It was a huge success and yielded wonderful results.”
“It brings together everyone from young children to grandparents, who share stories, traditions, and creativity,” he notes.
He noted that a very important part of THOK is the development of theater through school theater and amateur theater.
“The Amateur Theater Festival, which takes place in every community, produces the best theater ambassadors one could hope for. And school theater, which is also held in all schools, we believe these are two initiatives of the national theater that must be strengthened and remain within THOK so that they can continue exactly as they are. We start with young audiences, whom we introduce to the theatrical experience. They can create and learn what theater truly means—not just as spectators but also as creators.”
“This creativity that emerges from the children through their involvement in school theater helps them in whatever they do afterward, because they now have the ability to find creative solutions, work as part of a team, and operate with discipline,” she continued.
When asked to comment on the work at the THOK Warehouses, she described it as the “Bridge of Arta,” noting that the intention was to create a new space, without ruling out the possibility of changing its name.
“It will be a completely different kind of theater. That is, we’re talking about a theater that places the action at the center and has audiences on all four sides. We’re talking about spaces to welcome the public. Things are changing there. That’s why it took longer—because we’re trying to get things done on a very tight budget and move forward as much as we can.”
