Taking a bow to an empty house

With theaters closed due to Covid, actors and audiences must settle for virtual encounters from separate worlds through live-streaming. "You may have a big audience in many parts of Greece, but the silence is disconcerting," says Yiannis Stankoglou, one of four actors currently appearing in live-streamed plays who were interviewed by Kathimerini. "You feel numb when you take a bow and there’s no reaction, but then you get all these messages and realize that people are out there after all," adds Dimitris Mothonaios. For Emily Koliandri, "the silence at the end is a harsh reminder that theater requires a live audience to work." The situation is different when it comes to children’s shows, says Christina Christodoulou, likening the experience to "playing with an imaginary friend."