Women of Zalongo, an original play by Maria Cominis about the ongoing struggle of women for autonomy, impressed the audience in the HB Residency workshop presentation which included three performances at the HB Playwrights Theatre in New York City, June 9-10. The workshop was presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in New York.
The play is inspired by the playwright’s Greek grandmother and her childhood memories prior to her immigration to the U.S. in 1915. Family secrets and intergenerational dynamics are woven into the lives of four generations of women whose family line reaches back to the heroic women of Zalongo.
According to the legend, the women, trapped by the Ottoman army in the village of Zalongo in northwestern Greece, jumped to their death with their children to flee a life of enslavement and humiliation. But before they jumped, they sang and danced, the Dance of Zalongo.
The play is initiated by the surviving ancestors and parallels the ongoing struggle for women’s autonomy through the lens of the heroine’s family history. It is woven together with Greek folk music and dance and is characterized by familial humor and the enduring courage of women who pass on their stories.
The play, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), premiered regionally on March 3-12 in Fullerton, CA, and on March 19 in Santa Monica, CA.
Women of Zalongo has been recognized by the NEA with a $10,000 Grants for Arts Projects Award to present the production at California State University Fullerton (CSUF), College of the Arts, Department of Theatre and Dance Clayes Performing Arts Center. It is among 1,125 projects across the U.S. totaling more than $26.6 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2022 funding.
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