Romeo and Juliet for two: Shakespeare during the financial crisis in Greece

Abstract

The Greeks have appropriated Shakespeare for a vast array of reasons, including resorting to him in times of need, the recent financial crisis being one such time. In December 2012, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet premiered in the 3rd Low Budget Festival at the Michalis Kakogiannis Foundation. The performance, tellingly titled Romeo and Juliet for 2, featuring only two actors impersonating all the characters of the play, offered the obvious benefit of drastically cutting down expenses. At the same time, though, what it lacked in extravagance was compensated for in creativity. The performance combined features from Grotowski’s poor theatre and the carnivalesque. The particular production is indicutive of a trend towards low budget productions, the need for laughter in the face of adversity, and a trend even if minoritarian, to respond to the seclusion and despair that stem from the crisis with collective interactive ventures and artistic creativity.