DELICATE SCENE: Theodoros Petropoulos as Dinos in the adaptation of “The Homeland of the Innocents,” a novel by Anastasia Thanasoula, who wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Petropoulos. The story follows Dinos as he arrives in America from Greece in the 1920s. (Photos/Hannah-Kathryn Valles)
Q&A with the creators of “The Homeland of the Innocents” Anastasia Thanasoula and Theodoros Petropoulos
QUEENS — Every Saturday for the past two years, Anastasia Thanasoula and Theodoros Petropoulos have been meeting to discuss the life of Dinos, the protagonist of the stage adaptation of Thanasoula’s novel “The Homeland of the Innocents”.
“It’s all thanks to Theodoros, because he gave life to my hero,” Thanasoula, who also stars in the play, said after a performance at the Astoria Greek Cultural Center. Petropoulos, who contributed to the screenplay, directs the play and is the main actor.
Thanasoula, 33, program producer at the nonprofit Greek-American radio station Cosmos FM (91.5 FM), and PetropoulosThe 45-year-old, whose work in the United States includes the 2018 film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life,” have been friends for five years.
Inspired by Thanasoula’s grandfather’s experience after arriving in the United States in the 1920s, the play explores themes of trauma, belonging, memory and identity. Basically, it is a tribute to Greek immigrants.
Thanasoula and Petropoulos spoke to NYCity News Service about their hopes for the production — which is performed in Greek with English supertitles — and what it means for the Greek community.
The text has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Why did you want to tell this story?
Anastasia Thanasoula As I often tell my friends, we are cursed because we live between two countries. We have two homelands and our hearts beat in two places at the same time. When we return to Greece, we are “the Americans”. When we are here, we are “the Greeks”. So, what is our homeland?
What you describe sounds like the complexity of belonging to two different but connected spaces.
HAS Greece is like my mother. Sometimes I get so mad at my country, you know? But deep down, you love your mother. Despite the fact that you get angry, you become sad, you cry. America is to me the good aunt who will always give me hugs and treats for my better life. So I can’t tell you what my identity is.
Theodoros Petropoulos I like both. I like this country. Of course, I also love my country. But I love this country. That’s why I stay. Since day one, I have loved New York and I said to myself: “Yes, this is the place where I want to continue my life. » As a Greek actor, I dreamed at one point of trying to act in New York. After the financial crisis of 2008, I thought it was the right time to take the plunge and move to the United States.
Anastasia, your grandfather worked as a miner in Utah for several decades. How did you become interested in his story?
HAS I grew up with my grandmother and we share the same name. So through his stories, I began to research his life. I went to Utah last September and it really felt like home. In Garfield County, I saw where my grandfather set foot, where his house was. I saw the sky he saw for 40 years. And there, for the first time in my life, I felt that perhaps this was my home. It’s weird because it’s not Greece, where I was born and raised. This isn’t New York, where I’ve lived for six years. It was in Utah, where I was only going for a trip. If you ask me now where I think home is, back roads lead to Utah for me.
Theodoros on stage with Petropoulos at the Astoria Greek Cultural Center. The script won third place in a playwriting competition organized by Theatro Technis, the second largest theater in Greece.
Theodoros, how did you prepare for the role?
TP I tried to imagine what kinds of feelings this character was experiencing. What is certain is that there are times when he can feel anything from sarcasm to irony, sadness and anger. I appreciate it very much.
How did you start collaborating?
TP I had already read his book so I knew the story. So when she offered me the piece, I said “OK, why not?” Let’s do it!” I know the character of Dinos so well.
HAS We spent so many hours talking and analyzing Dinos in his life and journey. I don’t think there is a better man than Theodoros to lead and play this role.
Why do you think it is important for the Greek-American community to remember the struggles of their ancestors who immigrated here?
TP The story teaches us how to avoid bad things in life, society and everything. If we forget, the same things will happen. People forget or don’t know their history.
HAS For me, the point of this piece is for people to open Google and search. I would like to let our community know that things were not so easy for the Greeks. In Greece, we learn more about schools, about the war with Türkiye and World War II. We learn our independence from dictatorship. But our history is also here in the United States. It’s in Germany, it’s also in Australia, because we have immigration in our DNA. Every 20 years, our people leave our country because of war, because of the financial crisis. It was horrible.
It’s been 100 years since the time this story takes place. What is the same about the Greek experience in America and what is different?
HAS At the time, it was worse because people didn’t go to study, they didn’t go to school. And that made things very difficult for them. But now things are so much better. The Greek-American community is a strong and respectable community. To do this, we must pay homage to our Greek ancestors. And the work of Hellenic American Association for Progressive Education(a fraternal organization founded in 1922 to help newly arrived Greek immigrants) also helped a lot.
TP I think things are much better now. As Anastasia said, we know the language, we can speak English. A hundred years ago, people didn’t even know how to read or write Greek.
What are your hopes for the stage production?
TP I thought maybe this piece could tour all the Greek communities in the United States.
HAS My deepest dream is for our script to become a Hollywood film. Then we can give you an interview from the red carpet. Or if Broadway wants the play, I’ll say yes.
“The Homelands of the Innocents” will be presented at Greek Cultural Center in Astoria Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m., until March 12.
