Greece's Operatic Soup Kitchen

Janos Gereben on June 11, 2013

Last week Athens' ancient Atticus Theater opened its doors to 1,500 unemployed Greek citizens for a one-off free performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman:

As the drama of Greece’s bailout row continued offstage, Myron Michaildis, the National Opera’s artistic director, explained how the offering came about: "We decided that during these hard times, we cannot shy away from the real problems our society is facing. So through a series of artistic events held in various spaces, we are bringing opera to a wider audience because we believe that it is a type of entertainment people appreciate. And that is why we are holding this event today."

As unemployment rates in Greece climb to 27%, such ad hoc acts of benevolence are becoming increasingly common, and not without recognition from the beneficiaries. Amongst those queuing for tickets, [unemployed professionals were adamant in their praise].