On the south-eastern side of the Mediterranean, in a small but beautiful country, a miracle has taken place. Greece: the cradle of Western civilization. A civilization that gave birth to dramatic art, that nurtured and produced great poets, architects, sculptors, musicians, visual artists of universal appeal. Two Nobel Prize-winning poets, George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis, carried Greek culture to the ends of the earth.
In this context, the contrast is shocking and gloomy, caused by the pile of recent allegations against prominent people in the theatre for violent, abusive, illegal, even criminal behaviour! While always acknowledging the presumption of innocence, it is still a matter of the highest socio-political, cultural and, above all, moral concern that the former director of the country's National Theatre is being prosecuted for rape and paedophilia.
Actor means «to give ethos», culture must have as its main mission entertainment, the education of the soul in the light of humanistic values. The artist, undoubtedly, is among the spiritual people, the intellectuals of his generation, of his time, of his country. He exercises the highest social function and must be an excellent moral model for the devotees of his art.
When he also becomes a teacher of the fine arts, he performs a double function with a double responsibility. Like any educator, therefore, he or she is required to observe a moral code, an ethics that serves the honourable relationship between teacher and pupil, mutual respect and the elevation of the young soul towards goodness. Why does a 17-year-old high school student need to be treated in a humanistic pedagogical way and why is the same not true of an 18- or 20-year-old drama student?;
It is argued that the actor must be «tortured» in order to penetrate the dark aspects, the negative emotions of a role he is called upon to play in order to cure the audience's psyche. There is no evidence that the ancient Greek hypocrites received any abusive «initiation» in order to play the «abusive» patricides of ancient Greek tragedy. Nor is this a practice practiced in renowned drama schools around the world. After all, a man who has suffered abusive and disparaging treatment, with what dignity will he practice ethics?;
By the way, there is a clear and distinct difference between hypocrisy and hypocritical art. It is taught to third grade students studying Euripides« Helen and second grade students studying Sophocles» Antigone.
In simple words, the first hypocrite responded to the believers of Dionysus, who chanted the dithyrambo and thus, alongside the «member» (the music), the reason and the dialogue were added and the tragedy was born. The Minister of Culture cannot be unaware of this, since she studied classical literature and archaeology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens.
In any case, the major issue is now the preservation of ethics in the practice of the fine arts. Responsibilities do not only concern individual artists, but are mainly borne by the institutions and the persons who are called upon to serve them.
These healers of the arts must elaborate, strengthen and control the ethical framework of the functioning of the expressions of culture. And so that we are not misunderstood: we are not in any way suggesting any kind of censorship, but we are referring to the protection of the rights of artists and the public and to the common demand for ethical quality.
In particular, teachers of drama - and of any other art, of course - should not be selected on the basis of their talent and reputation alone, but mainly on the basis of their pedagogical and moral competence, as they shape sensitive young souls.
We are all anxiously watching this «theatre» that has been set up on social media, in the media and soon in the courtrooms.
Let us hope that in the end the «purgation of such passions through fear and mercy», according to the Aristotelian definition of the moral goal of tragedy, will be achieved.
Author of the article:
Zoe Roussou is a lawyer, first runner-up MP of the New Democracy (ND) Piraeus and Islands.
