Farewell to Actor and Colleague Michalis Ellinas…
Who could have imagined, in the summer of 2010, that Michalis would step onto the stage for the last time… I first met Michalis “theatrically” in Athens in the 1980s, during The Island of Aphrodite at KAVA Theatre, and his distinct voice made a strong impression on me.
Later, I saw him in Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author directed by Volanakis and Betty Arvaniti at the Kefallinias Street Theatre, and in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus by the Magic Theatre at the Factory on Vouliagmeni Avenue in Athens. Eventually, I came to Cyprus, and Michalis followed, returning to his homeland. We were introduced by Loukas Prastitis, fellow Larnacans, and Michalis often appeared in ETHAL’s productions. From Matia the First by Alki Zei to Marivaux’s The Game of Love and Chance, Michalis stood out for his kindness and dedication to the theatre.
Michalis Ellinas also participated in two ETHAL tours in Greece. In Thessaloniki, he performed in the Spanish play The Curve of Happiness, which had its Greek premiere, and in Lena Divani’s Family Law, which was presented for a month in Rhodes in collaboration with the Rhodes Municipal and Regional Theatre (DIPETHE). He worked with ETHAL in The Thirteenth by Elita Michaelidou and in our co-production with the Epitheseis Theatre Group for How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel.
Let’s give him a round of applause as he ascends to another place, another world!
