THE PROGRAMME

“Byzantines on Stage: Reimagining Byzantium in the Modern Greek Theatrical Production” (BStage) focuses on the rich theatrical tradition of Greek works thematising Byzantium, produced between the 19^th and the 20^th c.

The research programme, co-ordinated by the University of Cyprus is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Foundation of Research and Innovation (Programme “EXCELLENCE HUBS”: EXCELLENCE/0524/0251). The research team includes scholars from the fields of Byzantine, Modern Greek and French Studies, Theatre, and Digital Humanities coming from various institutions in Europe, the UK, and the U.S. (University of Cyprus, CYENS Centre of Excellence, UCL, Durham, University of California Davis, and Open University of Cyprus).

By using a novel combination of digital technologies with philological close readings and literary criticism, BStage seeks to address the following questions:

• What are the main characteristics of the Greek corpus thematising Byzantium?
• What is the content, context, and paths of dissemination and production of Greek theatrical works thematising Byzantium?
• How are the motifs of power and gender that are prominent in these works conceptualised and staged?
• Can we decipher links of communication among authors and works?
• What can we understand about the way Byzantium was appropriated in later times through the study of these works?
• Could the combination of digital humanities, textual analysis and literary criticism employed in this project create a new methodological example that can be applied in the study of other textual traditions and contexts?