The Deadlock of Modernism in Greek Drama: Kazantzakis's Othello Returns

The iconic Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis returned to playwriting with Othello Returns (1937) after a break of almost ten years. During this period he had carefully observed developments on directing in Europe and had translated a series of plays for the Royal Theater of Greece. Othello Returns has been characterized as "Pirandellian" for a long time, but the in-depth analysis undertaken here shows that it is the product of Kazantzakis's sui generis, yet conformist, theatricalism. His theatricalism is not a departure from the traditions of Greek drama during the interwar years, but a reaffirmation of a crisis in Greek drama and theater that manifested itself in a downturn in the output of Greek playwrights, followed by an upsurge of creativity, the emergence of a new theater-going public, the rise of the director as a key player, and the impasse of modernism both in terms of playwriting and stage direction.