Afro-Greek actors and actresses are opening a dialogue about the difficulties and challenges they face due to their color and origin.

Does skin color limit the choices available to them, confining them to stereotypical characters while preventing a black actor or actress from playing the roles they dream of? The discussion will address the prejudice of casting directors, the limited repertoire, the presence of Afro-Greek actors and actresses in the Greek theater and cinema, the access to theatre and cinema studies, the challenges of obtaining Greek citizenship as an obstacle, potential strategies and suggestions for inclusive casting, the contemporary use of blackface, and the importance of amplifying the voices of actors and actresses from diverse backgrounds. Actors and actresses of African descent along with casting directors from Greece and abroad, students and drama school faculty members are joining the discussion.

The public event, Color as an Obstacle or Limitation for an Actor in Greece, will take place on Thursday, October 10, at the Drama School of the Greek National Theatre | School of Athens – Irene Papas as part of NEON’s exhibition space of togetherness. 

Participants

Actors and casting directors | Samuel Akinola, Ksenia Dania (Human Cast), Eleni Nzanga Deborah Odong, Sophia Dimopoulou (Ready2cast), and Maurilio Mangano.

Students from the Drama School of the Greek National Theatre, its Director of Studies Dio Kangelari and the National Theatre Artistic Director Yannis Moschos and the directors Yiannis Sakaridis, Petros Sevstikiglou and Tonia Misiali.