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Greek and World Theatre: Drama, Performance, Education

DIMAKI-ZORA MARIA

MARIA DIMAKI-ZORA

Associate Professor

Modern Greek Drama and Culture • Department of Primary Education • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

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Maria Dimaki-Zora is Associate Professor at the Department of Primary Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, specialising in “Modern Greek Drama and Culture”.

She is a graduate of the Department of Philology of the School of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She completed her doctoral dissertation at the same Department as a scholarship holder of the State Scholarships Foundation, on the subject Spyridon N. Vasileiadis (1845-1874): His Life and Work .

The dissertation was published by the Kostas and Eleni Ouranis Foundation of the Academy of Athens in 2002. In 2015, she completed postdoctoral research entitled “Contemporary Trends in the Development of Modern Greek Drama: The Discourse of the Texts”.

Modern Greek DramaTheatre and CultureModern Greek LiteratureTheatre for Children and Young Audiences19th and 20th CenturiesPerforming Arts
Education and Academic Background
  • Degree from the Department of Philology, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
  • Doctoral dissertation at the same Department as a scholarship holder of the State Scholarships Foundation.
  • Doctoral dissertation: Spyridon N. Vasileiadis (1845-1874): His Life and Work .
  • Postdoctoral research: “Contemporary Trends in the Development of Modern Greek Drama: The Discourse of the Texts” (2015).
Research Interests
  • Modern Greek drama of the 19th and 20th centuries
  • Modern Greek literature
  • Theatre and culture
  • Theatre for young audiences
  • Contemporary trends in Modern Greek drama
International Research Projects
  • 2016-2017 — Theatrum Mundi – a Journey through European Performing Arts , within the framework of the European Creative Europe: Culture programme.
  • 2021-2023 — Values Across Space and Time, within the framework of HORIZON 2020.
Books / Monographs
  • Theatrical Pages: Studies on Modern Greek Drama and Theatre for Young Audiences , [Theatrologica VII – Edenda Curat Walter Puchner], Herodotos, Athens, 2018.
  • Modern Greek Drama at the Heights of “Parnassos”: Theatre and Culture in Athens in the 19th and 20th Centuries , Publications of the “Parnassos” Literary Society, Athens, 2021.
Recent Publications
  1. Dimaki-Zora, M., “Aspects, Representations and Refractions of the Economic Crisis in Contemporary Greek Drama”, in Vasileios Sabatakakis (ed.), The Greek World in Periods of Crisis and Recovery (1204-2018) , Vol. V, Proceedings of the 6th European Congress of Modern Greek Studies, European Society of Modern Greek Studies, Athens, 2020, pp. 421-436.
  2. Dimaki-Zora, M., “The Fourth Dimension in Eugenios Trivizas’ Twelve to Twelve”, in the Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Time in Theatre: Theatrical Memory of a Timeless Present , Papazisis Publications, Athens, 2021, pp. 371-383.
  3. Dimaki-Zora, M., “Theatre for Young Audiences: Qualitative Research Methods for Text and Performance”, in Kleio Fanouraki and George P. Pefanis (eds.), Applied Theatre: Qualitative Methods of Research and Learning through the Performing Arts , Papazisis Publications, Athens, 2021, pp. 253-269, in collaboration with Takis Tzamargias.
  4. Gkerlektsi, Th., M. Dimaki-Zora, “Applied Theatre in Greece. Skipping from crisis to crisis”, Journal of Literary Education, 5 (2021), 144-161.
  5. Dimaki-Zora, M., “Identity and Theatrical Role in Manos Kontoleon’s Mask in the Moonlight: The Emergence of Personality through the Mask”, in Vicky Patsiou (ed.), Proceedings of the Honorary Conference Manos Kontoleon. 40 Years: I Was Always Searching for Words , Diadrasi Publications, Athens, 2022, pp. 185-193.
  6. Dimaki-Zora, M., “Six Characters (for Children and Adolescents) in Search of an Author: Greek Drama for Young Audiences and the Challenges of the 21st Century”, in Evi Prousali (ed.), Performing Arts in the 21st Century: Contemporary Practices and New Perspectives , Hellenic Association of Theatre and Performing Arts Critics, Eurasia Publications, Athens, 2023, pp. 538-543.
Laboratory of Art and Discourse
She is Director of the Laboratory of Art and Discourse of the Department of Primary Education.
Editorial Activity
Since 2016, she has served as scientific editor of the “Theatre for Children and Young People” series published by Kapa Publishing, which publishes plays intended for children and young audiences.
Committees and Academic Activity
  • Member of the Greek Ministry of Culture’s State Award Committee for the Writing of Plays for Children.
  • Participation in Greek and international academic conferences.
  • Author of academic monographs and articles on Modern Greek drama, literature and theatre for young audiences.
Dimaki-Zora Maria

Maria Dimaki-Zora is an Associate Professor at the Department of Primary Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), specializing in Modern Greek Dramaturgy and Culture.

She holds a degree in Philology from the Faculty of Philology, School of Philosophy, NKUA, where she also completed her PhD in Modern Greek Literature as a State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) fellow. Her doctoral dissertation, titled Spyridon N. Vassiliadis (1845–1874): Life and Works, was published by the Kostas and Eleni Ouranis Foundation of the Academy of Athens in 2002. She also conducted postdoctoral research in 2015 under the title Contemporary Trends in the Evolution of Modern Greek Dramaturgy: The Language of the Texts.

She has participated—and continues to participate—as a researcher in international research programs, including:

  • Theatrum Mundi – A Journey through European Performing Arts (Creative Europe: Culture, 2016–2017)
  • Values Across Space and Time (HORIZON 2020, 2021–2023)

She currently serves as Director of the Laboratory of Art and Discourse at the Department of Primary Education (NKUA). She has presented her work at both national and international conferences, and has authored monographs and scholarly articles on Modern Greek dramaturgy and 19th–20th-century literature, as well as on theatre for young audiences.

Since 2016, she has been the editor-in-chief of the book series Theatre for Children and Young People, published by Kapa Publishing, which features theatrical works for young audiences. She is also a member of the State Award Committee for Playwriting for Children, under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

Her books include:

  • Theatrical Pages. Studies on Modern Greek Dramaturgy and Theatre for Young Audiences, [Theatrologica VII – Edenda Curat Walter Puchner], Herodotos, Athens 2018
  • Modern Greek Dramaturgy at the Heights of Parnassos. Theatre and Culture in 19th- and 20th-century Athens, published by the Philological Society "Parnassos", Athens 2021

Selected recent publications include:

  • Dimaki-Zora, M. (2020). “Aspects, Representations, and Refractions of the Economic Crisis in Contemporary Greek Dramaturgy.” In V. Sambatakakis (Ed.), The Greek World in Periods of Crisis and Recovery (1204–2018), vol. V, Proceedings of the 6th European Congress of Modern Greek Studies (Lund, 4–7 October 2018), European Society of Modern Greek Studies, Athens, pp. 421–436.
  • Dimaki-Zora, M. (2021). “The Fourth Dimension in Eugene Trivizas’s Play Twelve Minus Twelve.” In Time in Theatre. Theatrical Memory of a Timeless Present, ed. Th. Grammatas, ed. S. Papadopoulos, Papazisis Publications, Athens, pp. 371–383.
  • Dimaki-Zora, M., & Tzamargias, T. (2021). “Theatre for Young Audiences: Qualitative Research Methods for Text and Performance.” In K. Fanouraki & G. P. Pefanis (Eds.), Applied Theatre: Qualitative Methods of Research and Learning through Performing Arts, Papazisis Publications, Athens, pp. 253–269.
  • Gkerlektsi, Th., & Dimaki-Zora, M. (2021). “Applied Theatre in Greece: Skipping from Crisis to Crisis.” Journal of Literary Education, 5, 144–161.
  • Dimaki-Zora, M. (2022). “Identity and Theatrical Role in Manos Kontoleon’s Mask on the Moon: The Emergence of Personality through the Mask.” In V. Patsiou (Ed.), Proceedings of the Tribute Day for Manos Kontoleon: 40 Years – I Was Always Searching for the Words, Diadrasi Publications, Athens, pp. 185–193.
  • Dimaki-Zora, M. (2023). “Six Characters (for Children and Adolescents) in Search of a Playwright: Greek Dramaturgy for Young Audiences and the Challenges of the 21st Century.” In E. Prousali (Ed.), Performing Arts in the 21st Century: Contemporary Practices and New Perspectives, Hellenic Theatre and Performing Arts Critics Association, Eurasia Publications, Athens, pp. 538–543.