By Chrystalla Hadjidimitriou *:
What happened in Sotira with the show "Cock" could be done in any community. In Deryneia, this particular show might be welcome but it might have been something else. As the work with Makarios disturbed a few months ago in Paphos, as the event with the statues in the Pancyprian High School disturbed in Nicosia. A painting on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art depicting a young girl sitting with her legs open in a chair, for which signatures are being collected, is currently bothering her in New York. The issue in Sotira has brought to the surface all our syndromes, which do not simply revolve around homosexuality and homophobia. It is first and foremost the role of the church in people's lives. The absolutely hypocritical. With the Archbishop doing business all day, envisioning Las Vegas-style developments with hotels and casinos where anything can happen, but one of his subordinates - a priest - vetoes a theatrical performance and determines - thinks - the education of his flock.
It is then the role of the parties. Sotira is a traditionally patriotic community. And elections are coming. The party staffs have been upset, going from door to door, sending sms, calling to remind them of their existence. They would not let the subject be limited to the artistic field, which, anyway, they have written. The freedom of expression and artistic creation is good for DISY, but "the special sensitivities of the local communities cannot be ignored". Which sensitivities may be related to homosexuality, the position of women, the presence of strangers, the treatment of AIDS carriers and so on. And of course by eating the vines.
AKEL was involved in the case, with its own mayor in Deryneia inviting the THOK to put on the show there, while the THOK, whose role is to cultivate freedom of expression through art, dialogue and education, in In this case, it decided to take legal action "to protect its prestige and operation".
Needless to say, a civil war has been declared on social media. So the whole troupe on stage, in our best show. Which needs neither a script nor a director. It is simply our reality.
* Phileleftheros Newspaper 8/12/2017