The comedy "Save Yourself If You Can" ("Ο Σώζων Εαυτόν Σωθήτω"), written by Italian playwright Eduardo de Filippo and directed by Tamilla Kulieva, has opened at the Embassy Theater in Athens following a successful summer tour across Greece.
The production is a tender comedy of situations that the production notes describe as full of temperament, bringing to the stage the warmth and humor of traveling theater troupes, known in Greek as "boulioukia," which are described as a root of modern theater.
What the play is about
The story follows charming troupe leader Don Genaro and his company as they arrive in a tourist destination for a tour, bringing with them rehearsals, chaos, small misunderstandings and an upheaval that disrupts the quiet daily life of the place. Alberto, the troupe's producer, is in love with the mysterious and beautiful Bice, unaware that she is married and pregnant.
The other members of the troupe, described as flexible, funny and human, help him navigate the complicated situation, while the whole group races to put together a new show to perform that same evening after the failure of the previous one.
As the rehearsal unfolds, the plot of the play they are preparing begins to mirror their own lives, tangled with pregnancies, identities, secrets and a series of misunderstandings, with even the police called in to restore order. The characters try to hold onto their dignity amid a chaotic world full of comic mishaps, in keeping with the spirit of situation comedy.
A tribute to traveling theater
The production notes describe the play as a lively, fast-paced story that mirrors fiction within reality and reality within fiction, honoring people of the theater and highlighting their tenderness and resilience. More than a simple comedy, it is presented as a tribute to the "boulioukia," the wandering actors who carried theater to every corner long before cinema and television became part of everyday life, a tradition shared by Italy and Greece and deeply rooted in emotional memory.
Eduardo de Filippo was a leading Italian playwright, actor and director of the 20th century, known for blending comedy with social realism in works rooted in Neapolitan life and theater tradition.
Cast and production details
The translation and direction are by Tamilla Kulieva, with music by Pierros Papadakos, choreography and movement by Antonia Oikonomou and musical direction by Tamilla Kulieva. Photographs are by Giorgos Kalfamanolis, with production communications handled by Antonis Kokolakis.
The cast includes Dimitris Papanikolaou, Thanasis Kourlabas, Danai Pappa, Michalis Panadis, Panos Kladis, Iason Vrochidis and Tamilla Kulieva.
Performances run Mondays and Tuesdays at 20:00, with a running time of 100 minutes.
Tickets and venue
Ticket prices are set at 30 euros and 25 euros for VIP seating, 20 euros for Zone A and 18 euros for Zone B. A reduced price of 16 euros applies to students, the unemployed, children up to 12 years old, people with disabilities without a wheelchair, and companions of wheelchair users seated in Zone B.
Tickets are available in advance through more.com. The Embassy Theater is located at Patriarchou Ioakeim 5, Athens.
