LEMON: the theatrical experience at Lake Stefaniada!

“After 32 whole years at sea, I was about to set foot on land. 
To see the sea.”

The captivating theatrical performance excites audiences in every corner of Greece, earning excellent reviews both for its on-stage impact and for its original destinations between land and sea, where it has been traveling since 2018, making art accessible to remote areas.

The story of the legendary pianist 1900 — based on the original text by Italian author Alessandro Baricco — is brought to life on stage by actor and pianist Melachrinos Velentzas as 1900 and actor Giorgos Drivas as the trumpeter Tim Tooney. The story also became known through its film adaptation titled “The Legend of 1900”, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and starring Tim Roth.

Conceived, artistically directed, and produced by Melachrinos Velentzas and with the support of local communities across Greece, Lemon continues to find its theatrical stage in unexpected places between land and sea — onboard ships, at shipwrecks and docked vessels, on beaches and breakwaters, as well as in village squares, in a lemon grove, or abandoned sites where theatre is performed for the first time.

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Nearly 24,000 spectators have attended 179 performances of Lemon across Greece, with each show being unique and adding another lemon to the crate of this independent production. Guided by the vision that “theatre exists wherever there are spectators”, the Lemon team embraces each place’s need for a cultural opportunity, connecting the dots of our collective map.

The performance at Lake Stefaniada will be the 180^th. The magical piano-box of Lemon, together with the award-winning acting duo, will find their stage in the embrace of Greece’s youngest natural lake, which was formed in 1963 after a landslide. The story of this natural landscape meets the story of the play: somewhere in the early 20th century, just before or after the explosion of the steamship Virginian, where 1900 spent his entire life playing the music of the Ocean. Without ever setting foot on land.

On a night when the energy of this particular point on the map — in the heart of nature — will remind us of the ritualistic character of theatre.

Energy that floods the stage, moves, and captivates in 70 intense minutes
of a deeply human story that surfaces the existential question:
“Are you afraid to step off the ship you were born on?”

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Synopsis of the Play

The play unfolds in the early 20th century aboard the steamship Virginian, which makes transatlantic voyages from Europe to America. A newborn baby is abandoned by immigrant parents in a box of lemons on the grand piano in the first-class ballroom. The sailor who finds him gives him his own name: Danny Boodman, adds the nickname T.D. Lemon (from the lemon box), and includes the year 1900 (when he was found). The young 1900 becomes the greatest pianist of the Ocean and has only one friend: trumpeter Tim Tooney, who constantly urges him to step onto land and experience another life.

What critics wrote about Lemon

“...their energy floods the stage...
an inventive two-man show...”
Athinorama | Tonia Karaoglou

“Those who saw it, said the best things.
And maybe, for the first time in my life,
I agree with all my fellow critics!”
Efimerida ton Syntakton | Nora Ralli

“They truly give everything on stage!”
Euronews | Giorgos Mitropoulos

“...a 2 men show!”
Athens Voice | Tsitsopoulos

Performance Information
Sunday, August 10 | 21:15 | Duration: 70 minutes
Lake Stefaniada | Municipality of Argithea, Karditsa Prefecture | PC 43069
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DSBks86m29Vc26kR9
*the performance will have English surtitles and is suitable for children aged 4 and above

Tickets
General Admission: €15
Online pre-sale: https://www.more.com/gr-el/tickets/theater/tour/lemon-2025/
Phone Pre-Sale & Info: +30 6977 77 38 75
Physical Pre-Sale: Finix Adventures | +30 6977 66 34 53 | finixadventures@gmail.com
Contact Email: melachrinos.velentzas@gmail.com

See the full program of the Stefaniada Lake Festival here: https://shorturl.at/Mp6fQ

Credits
Concept – Artistic Direction – Stage Adaptation: Melachrinos Velentzas
Author: Alessandro Baricco
Translation: Stavros Papastavrou
Adaptation – Direction – Movement: Georgia Tsagkaraki
Set Design: Natasa Tsindikidi
Piano Construction: Thomas Marias
Costumes: Kelly Stamatopoulou
Sound – Lighting: Lefteris Douros
Poster Artwork: Giorgos Krallis
Production: Melachrinos Velentzas

Cast: Melachrinos Velentzas (1900) & Giorgos Drivas (Tim Tooney)

Follow Lemon’s journey!
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