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GREECE: ARTS IN LOCKDOWN

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GREECE: ARTS IN LOCKDOWN

Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence.

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation.

With her sword raised but defeat certain, the title character in composer Pavlos Carrer’s 1875 opera chooses death over captivity, detonating ammunition stored in a fortress as Ottoman forces close in.

“Fire! Fire!” Bogri sang in Despo Botsi’s final moments as machine-generated smoke billowed out over the stage during a performance recorded for streaming-only events scheduled for May.

“I can tell you, that sword is real and it’s heavy,” the soloist chuckled after the show, still costumed in a headscarf, brocade waistcoat and wide-sleeved pleated blouse.

“Artists prepare two or three months for a production and then take that work to an audience,” she said. “Now, we have to generate that energy with no one there. That’s not easy.”

Greece gained its independence after a grueling nine-year war. A century later, the Greeks were on the losing side in Asia Minor as modern Turkey was created out of the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

Bicentennial events intended to display Greece’s modern accomplishments have been postponed, scaled back or moved online because of the pandemic. National parades by school children set for Greece’s March 25 independence day holiday were canceled Friday amid the latest surge in COVID-19 infections.

Like the National Opera, other cultural institutions formed small work teams to salvage their celebration plans even as they faced acute financial pressure due to lockdown measures now in their fifth consecutive month.

Actors and singers working on the production of “Despo” wore masks during most rehearsals, many driven by a stubborn resolve, Bogri said.

“It’s the creative arts that helped us keep going” during the pandemic, she said. “But the sad irony is that, after all this is over, there will be fewer of us left. A large part of the arts world will be swept away.”

Greek soprano Artemis Bogri holding a sword, sings during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Soprano Artemis Bogri wearing a Greek traditional costume prepares with others for the rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Dresser Eleni Laskari, right, adjusts tenor Dimitris Paksoglou's Greek traditional costume before the rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A director instructs the technicians during the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greek soprano Artemis Bogri performs during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A cameraman prepares for the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance at the empty Greek National Opera in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Singers and orchestra of the Greek National Opera perform during the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Singers and the orchestra of the Greek National Opera perform during the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Singers from the Greek National Opera wearing face masks to curb the spread of coronavirus, take a break during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greek soprano Artemis Bogri sings during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greek soprano Artemis Bogri poses for the photographer Andreas Simopoulos before a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Eleftheria Stamou dancer of the Greek National Opera Ballet prepares, prior to a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Elpida Skourou, right, speaks with George Hatzopoulos, both dancers of the Greek National Opera Ballet before a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Elton Dimrochi holding Elpida Skourou, dancers of the Greek National Opera Ballet, perform during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Dancers of the Greek National Opera Ballet, perform during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Giannis Mitrakis holding Elpida Skourou, right, and Elena Kekkou, dancers of the Greek National Opera Ballet, perform during a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Singers and the orchestra of the Greek National Opera perform during the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Elton Dimrochi dancer of the Greek National Opera Ballet, stretches before a rehearsal of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actors Marios Panagiotou, left, and Konstantinos Arnokouros speak, during a rehearsal of "The Free Besieged" at the Greek National Theater in Athens, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actor Konstantinos Arnokouros wearing a face mask, prepares, prior to a rehearsal of "The Free Besieged" at the Greek National Theater in Athens, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actor Alexandros Mavropoulos, wearing a face mask listens to the instructions by director Thanos Papakonstantinou during a rehearsal of "The Free Besieged" at the Greek National Theater in Athens, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Lena Drossaki stretches during a rehearsal of "The Free Besieged" at the Greek National Theater in Athens, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Lena Drossaki during a rehearsal of "The Free Besieged" at the Greek National Theater in Athens, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A view of the foyer of the Greek National Opera ahead of the video recording of "Despo-Greek Dances" Opera and dance performance in Athens, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dozens of museum exhibitions, theater productions, discussion panels and historical re-enactments were planned in Greece for this year to commemorate the bicentennial of the 1821-1832 Greek War of Independence. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, mezzo-soprano Artemis Bogri and her fellow singers stepped onstage in an empty theater to perform the Greek National Opera’s new production of “Despo,” one of the events marking 200 years since the war that resulted in Greece’s independence from the Ottoman Empire and rebirth as a nation. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

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