Our new project, in collaboration with the internationally renowned actress Mrs.Irene Papas, is the production of THE LEGEND OF ATREUS, a 20 one hour episodes T.V. series 

THE LEGEND OF ATREUS

Around 1200 B.C. three seemingly unconnected events in three very dissimilar cities will set the base of today’s social order.

Known to us through ancient Greek tragedy, Mythology and archeological findings the legend of the House of Atreus, intertwines these three events and leads us to the first known Great War: The Trojan War. A war fought for the love of a woman, Helen of Sparta, and for the domination of the Aegean Sea.

Our story begins on a hot summer night in the midst of the incredible Evrotas River in Sparta. Zeus sees Leda, the queen of Sparta, bathing in the water and is blinded by passion.  He immediately transforms himself into a beautiful black swan and Leda and he cling to each other in a fervent embrace. From this extraordinary union two women, Helen of Sparta and Clytemnestra, are born. Helen’s beauty and temperament will be the cause for the Trojan War and Clytemnestra as a woman, Queen and mother, will wait to take her ultimate revenge for the unjust blood shed for the sake of this war.

Simultaneously in distant Troy the priests are in fierce competition with the king over who will have the most authority. On the birth of Paris, son of Hecabe and Priamos the Royal couple of Troy, the oracles demand his execution, foreseeing that for the love of a woman this newborn will destroy the city. Hecabe and Priamos disobey and allow the infant to live.

The third event takes place in Mycenae, the most powerful kingdom at this time. Two brothers, Atreus and Thyestes, battle for the throne. During the confrontation, Atreus does not hesitate to butcher his brother’s children and serve them to him for dinner. Neither does Thyestes hesitate to rape his own daughter so that she will give birth to Aegistos that will kill Atreas and later his son Agamnenon.

Our story progresses swiftly. Generations succeed each other. Leading characters such as Agamemnon, Menelaus, Paris, Iphigenia, Achilles, Nymphs, Gods, and Demigods compose a vibrant mosaic, in a stimulating adventure.

The thirst for power and the domination of the Aegean will lead to the Trojan War. Using the abduction of Helen of Sparta by Paris as a pretext the Greeks unite and after a ten year bloody war they burn Troy.

New heroes enter our story: Achilles, Patroclus, Hector, Aeas, Palamides, Philoktitis and Ulysses. The personal relationships of these heroes, the games of power amongst them, their confrontations, their love affairs, will unfold before us and they will be our main concern rather than the big battles. Achilles, doesn’t hesitate to abandon the war when Agamemnon steals Brisiida (Achilles concubine). This egoistic act on the part of Agamemnon infuriates Achilles and almost results in the defeat of the Greek army.   Ulysses is a great warrior, on the one hand, with his espionage talents he steals the horses from within the Trojan walls thus undermining the Trojan army and a great conspirator, on the other hand, driving the bravest Greek, Aeas, to madness. With his ruthless skills he outwits Philoctetes – whom he had abandoned wounded  ten years ago on an uninhabited island - so he takes part in the war as the oracles demand his participation for the taking of the city.        

Finally the tragedy that befalls Troy is best portrayed by Hecabe’s fate.  The queen of Troy, is taken back to Greece as a slave.

Along with the big heroes, the lords and kings that succeed one another for three generation we also live with the “simple” people who manage to survive within all the turmoil and insecurity of their world. It is their moving stories which stir our emotions and invigorate the story.    The war finally ends.

The heroes return home victorious with their loot only to find that nothing has remained the same.

Clytemnestra, The Mother, betrayed by her husband Agamemnon who sacrifices their daughter for the ships to get wind to depart for Troy ten years ago, waits patiently to take her blood back by assassinating him with the help of her lover, our well known Aegistus.

Her son in turn kills the Mother to take vengeance for his father’s murder. Brothers fight to their death to obtain supremacy. The masses follow and disappear for the sake of their masters. But humane, everyday adventures so important for survival that bring hope, warmth and prudence in antithesis with the impressive feats of the Gods and the Kings compensate the viewer.

The Legend of Atreus is a story of political intrigue. Passion, awe, pain, blood, love, revenge, heroes, traitors, just gods and unfair demons, guilt, justice, but most of all irrationality and the thirst for power make it a contemporary story.

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