Beloved Greek-Canadian actress, writer and director Nia Vardalos has arrived in Athens, Greece ahead of her new protagonist role in the Greek premiere of her acclaimed play, “Tiny Beautiful Things.”
Rehearsals are officially underway at the historic Pallas Theatre of Athens, where the show is set to begin on Friday, May 16.
Vardalos is globally known for writing and starring in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” series of movies.
She shared the news of her arrival to Greece with her hundreds of thousands of fans via her personal Instagram account. There, Vardalos posted photos from her journey and details about the upcoming theatrical production in Athens.
She also expressed her real enthusiasm -mixed with a touch of apprehension- about tackling the role in the Greek language for the first time on stage.
”Arriving in Athens, Greece, as the sun is setting on the beautiful most blue sea,” Vardalos noted on her Instagram post.
”And now, rehearsals begin for Tiny Beautiful Things, Athens. I am excited and terrified to perform in Greek onstage for the first time. But that little feeling of working outside one’s comfort zone is exactly what we are supposed to do. Here we go!” she said.
“Tiny Beautiful Things” is a theatrical stage adaptation of the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed. This book compiles letters from Strayed’s time as the anonymous advice columnist “Sugar.” The play is known for its humour, tenderness and exploration of issues such as human strength and resilience. It originally premiered Off-Broadway in 2016 under the direction of Thomas Kail and has since seen successful productions across the US and internationally.
Hulu also created a mini series that premiered in 2023 based on this book.
This Athens production is the first time the play will be performed not just in Greece but also in the Greek language. Vardalos will be co-directing the show alongside Spyros Katsaganis, who also handled the translation of the whole play.
Vardalos will share the stage with Greek actors Dimitris Papanikolaou, Danae Loukaki and Dimitris Kitsos.
Nia Vardalos’s full name is Antonia Eugenia Vardalos. She was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1962.
The famous actress used her Greek identity as a motivation to spread her love for the land of her ancestors. She drew inspiration from her proud heritage and family life to create the film that made her globally known.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 2003.
Beyond the success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequels, Vardalos has written, directed and starred in other films like Connie and Carla and I Hate Valentine’s Day. She has also adapted the book Tiny Beautiful Things into a successful stage play in which she his going to perform for the first time in Greek.
