Marika Kotopouli (Greek: ÎœÎ±Ï Î¯ÎºÎ± ÎšÎ¿Ï„Î¿Ï€Î¿Ï Î»Î·; 3 May 1887
â€" 11 September 1954) was a Greek stage actress during the first half
of the 20th century.Kotopouli was born on 3 May 1887 in Athens, to
Dimitris and Eleni. Her parents were also actors, and Marika's first
stage appearance came during one of their tours, in the play "The
Coachman of the Alps". She made her official debut in the Royal
Theatre in 1903, before going to Paris in 1906 for theatrical
studies.From 1908, she had her own troupe, and theatre, the "Kotopouli
Theatre". In this period she developed an intense artistic rivalry
with another young actress, Cybele. The two had very devoted fans, and
during the National Schism, their rivalry acquired political overtones
also: whilst Cybele was favoured by the Venizelists, Kotopouli became
a symbol of the royalist camp. In 1912 Kotopouli also had a personal
love relationship with Ion Dragoumis, who became a major opponent of
the Venizelists and was eventually assassinated. Kotopouli and Cybele
collaborated in joint productions from 1932â€"1934 and again from
1950-52.She married Georgios Helmi in 1923. Later, with Spyros Melas
and Dimitris Myrat, she co-founded and participated in the "Free
Scene" (Î•Î»ÎµÏ Î¸ÎµÏ Î· Σκηνή, June 1929 to spring 1930), before
embarking on a tour of the United States. In 1933, she played in her
only movie, the Greek-Turkish production Bad Road, based on a novel by
Grigorios Xenopoulos. A new theatre, the Rex, was built specifically
for her troupe in Panepistimiou Street in central Athens in 1936. It
still stands, as the Rex/Kotopouli theatre, and functions as a branch
of the National Theatre of Greece. Her repertoire included many
classic plays, both ancient Greek and modern ones, ranging from
Aeschylus to Goethe and Ibsen.
â€" 11 September 1954) was a Greek stage actress during the first half
of the 20th century.Kotopouli was born on 3 May 1887 in Athens, to
Dimitris and Eleni. Her parents were also actors, and Marika's first
stage appearance came during one of their tours, in the play "The
Coachman of the Alps". She made her official debut in the Royal
Theatre in 1903, before going to Paris in 1906 for theatrical
studies.From 1908, she had her own troupe, and theatre, the "Kotopouli
Theatre". In this period she developed an intense artistic rivalry
with another young actress, Cybele. The two had very devoted fans, and
during the National Schism, their rivalry acquired political overtones
also: whilst Cybele was favoured by the Venizelists, Kotopouli became
a symbol of the royalist camp. In 1912 Kotopouli also had a personal
love relationship with Ion Dragoumis, who became a major opponent of
the Venizelists and was eventually assassinated. Kotopouli and Cybele
collaborated in joint productions from 1932â€"1934 and again from
1950-52.She married Georgios Helmi in 1923. Later, with Spyros Melas
and Dimitris Myrat, she co-founded and participated in the "Free
Scene" (Î•Î»ÎµÏ Î¸ÎµÏ Î· Σκηνή, June 1929 to spring 1930), before
embarking on a tour of the United States. In 1933, she played in her
only movie, the Greek-Turkish production Bad Road, based on a novel by
Grigorios Xenopoulos. A new theatre, the Rex, was built specifically
for her troupe in Panepistimiou Street in central Athens in 1936. It
still stands, as the Rex/Kotopouli theatre, and functions as a branch
of the National Theatre of Greece. Her repertoire included many
classic plays, both ancient Greek and modern ones, ranging from
Aeschylus to Goethe and Ibsen.
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