Iakovos Kampanellis
Born(1921-12-02)2 December 1921
Naxos, Greece
Died29 March 2011(2011-03-29) (aged 89)
Athens, Greece
OccupationWriter
Known for"Mauthausen Trilogy"
WebsiteOfficial website

Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist.[1]

Biography

Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of nine children of Stefanos Kampanellis, an experienced pharmacist, and Aikaterini Laskari. His father came from Chios, while his mother came from an old noble family in Istanbul. Iakovos Kambanellis appeared as one of the most prominent Greek playwrights of the 20th century and he is considered to be the father of modern Greek theater. As a survivor of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, he wrote the lyrics of the "Mauthausen Trilogy" with music by Mikis Theodorakis. He has also written a memoir known as Mauthausen describing his experiences from the concentration camp. He wrote the scripts of at least 12 films and he directed three of them. In addition, he is well known as a lyricist, having written the lyrics for more than 100 songs. He was a member of the board of the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece (MIET – Morfotiko Idryma Ethnikis Trapezis), along with some of the most prominent Greek artists.[2] From 1981-87, he was Director of the Radio section of the Greek National Broadcasting Company (E.R.T.). In 2000 he was elected member of the Academy of Athens. The same year he was awarded the medal of the Order of Phoenix by the President of the Greek Republic.

Death

Kambanellis was rushed to the hospital on 4 February 2011 due to complications of his long-term kidney failure.[3] At the age of 89, he died on 29 March 2011 from kidney failure, nine days after his wife's death.[4]

Theatre

YearTransliterationTitlePerformed at
1950Choros pano sta stachyaΧορός πάνω στα στάχυα
Dance upon the Cobs
Adamandios Lemos Company
1955–56[vdomi mera tis dimourgiasΈβδομη μέρα της δημιουργίας
Seventh Day of Creation
National Theatre, 2nd stage
1957Aftos kai to panteloni touΑυτός και το παντελόνι του
He and his pants
Vassilis Diamantopoulos
1957I kryfi zoi tou Warren MittyΗ κρυφή ζωή του Γουώρεν Μήττυ
The secret life of Warren Mitty
Vassilis Diamantopoulos
1957–58I Avli ton ThavmatonΑυλή των Θαυμάτων
The Courtyard of Miracles
Art Theatre
1958–59I ilikia tis nihtasΗ ηλικία της νύχτας
The Age of Night
Art Theatre
1959O Gorillas ke i OrtansiaΟ Γορίλας και η Ορτανσία
The Gorilla and the Hydrangea
Elsa Verghi Theater Company
1959–60Paramythi choris onomaΠαραμύθι χωρίς Όνομα
Fairy tale without a Name
Vasslis Diamantopoulos New Theatre
1963–64Geitonia ton angelonΓειτονιά των αγγέλων
Neighborhood of Angels
Karezis' Company
1966–67Viva AspasiaΒίβα Ασπασία
" Long live Aspasia"
Karezis' Company
1966–67Odyssea gyrise spitiΟδυσσέα γύρισε σπίτι
Ulysses, come home
Art Theatre
1970–71Apikia ton timorimenonΑποικία των τιμωρημένων
Colony of the Punished
Marietta Rialdi Experimental Theatre
1971–72AspasiaΑσπασία
Aspasia
Karezi-Kazakos Company
1972–73To megalo mas tsirkoΤο μεγάλο μας τσίρκο
Our Great Circus
Karezi-Kazakos Company
1974To kouki kai to revythiΤο κουκί και το ρεβύθι
The Chickpea and the Broad Bean
Karezi-Kazakos Company
1975O ehthros LaosΟ εχθρός λαός
The Rival People
Karezi-Kazakos Company
1976–77Prossopa yia violi ke orhistraΠρόσωπα για βιολί και ορχήστρα
Characters For Violin And Orchestra
Art Theatre
1978–79Ta tessera podia tou trapeziouΤα τέσσερα πόδια του τραπεζιού
The Four Legs of the Table
Art Theatre
1981O babas o polemosΟ μπαμπάς ο πόλεμος
Daddy War
Art Theatre
1988O aoratos ThiasosΟ αόρατος Θίασος
The Invisible Troupe
National Theatre

Cinema

He wrote several scripts for films including:

  • Stella directed by Michael Cacoyiannis
  • O Drakos (The Ogre of Athens) directed by Nikos Koundouros
  • Arpagi tis Persefonis (The Siege of Persephone) directed by Grigoris Grigoriou
  • To kanoni kai t'aïdoni (The Cannon and the Nightingale) directed by himself and Giorgos Kampanellis

Many of his plays are translated in several languages and produced in countries all over the world: in Austria, Bulgaria, Iran, England, Germany, Hungary, Romania, U.S.A., Russia, China, Norway and Sweden. His plays translated in Iran by Reza Shirmarz, famous playwright, translator, author and researcher, have been republished several times in a short time. He worked as a journalist in newspapers Eleftheria (1963–65), Anendotos (1965–66) and Nea (1975-1980). He has been a member of the Greek Theatre Writers' Company.

References

  1. Work of playwright Iakovos Kambanellis presented at Holocaust Museum in Washington Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. , Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece website. Accessed 4 May 2022.
  3. Στην εντατική ο Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης
  4. Harris M. Lentz III (2014). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2011. McFarland. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-7864-9134-6.
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