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Dramatic Performance of Plato’s “Apology” at St. John’s College
Actor Yannis Simonides, who is also an Emmy-winning documentary producer, will be giving a dramatic performance of Plato’s “Apology” at St. John’s College. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium at 8:15 p.m. Friday, November 13.
One of Plato’s most important works, “The Apology” is Plato’s presentation of the defense given by Socrates at his trial in 399 BC. Socrates was accused of various charges, including corrupting the young and not believing in the gods. Socrates’ “apology” during his trial was a defense of his beliefs and actions (The Greek word, apologia, means defense). The trial ended with a guilty verdict and a death sentence for Socrates.
Since 2004 Simonides, who studied drama at Yale, has performed the “Apology” in Greek and English at various venues in the United States, United Kingdom, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay, and is scheduled to take his performance on tour in Russia, Australia, Spain and Japan.
Simonides has served as professor and chair of the drama department at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, as executive producer of Greek Orthodox Telecommunications (GOTelecom), and as the executive director of Hellenic Public Radio (COSMOS FM) in New York. He is the founder and director of the Greek Theater (Elliniko Theatro) in New York and of Mythic Media, a performing arts lab.
For more information: http://www.ncplato.com/