The Athens Epidaurus Festival is offering the public a rare experience, welcoming audiences for the first time to the Ancient Stadium of Epidaurus at midnight, for two special performances that make full use of the unique nocturnal setting of the site, as part of the “1-1-1” (one composer – one work – one actress) and “C_MUSIC NOW” series.

The first midnight proposal is “(Alcestis) Landscape After A Promise” by Dimitris Kamarotos, which will be presented on June 26 and 27, at 23:59.

This is a distinctive stage experience in the archaeological site, featuring one performer and a string quintet. A defiant and intense work, Alcestis breaks away from Euripides’ original text and is transformed into a dimly lit monologue, where the heroine does not recount her sacrifice but lives through it, drawing the audience into a nocturnal wandering through the archaeological landscape of Epidaurus. A natural and musical environment reveals a pathway of transition for anyone who feels the need to see it.

The performance lasts 90 minutes.

The second midnight performance, “Oedipus Steps”, composed by Zisis Seglias, will be presented on July 10 and 11, at 23:59.

“Within this brief slice of time unfolds an adventurous encounter between music, dance, and text – but also something more: a flickering intuition that classic works conceal untapped dramaturgical veins within their blind spots, and, above all, a gleaming reminder that the Theban Cycle remains an inexhaustible laboratory of meaning – one that continues to converse, across the centuries, with the most daring and contemporary musical explorations,” the press release noted.