In 2016 she played remarkably the role of Darius's widow and Xerxes's mother Atossa in
Aeschylus' "The Persians", translated and directed by
Vassilis Oikonomou in the acclaimed production of THEAMA, which was first presented at the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in the New Stage
Nikos Kourkoulos of the National Theatre of Greece. Next it was also presented on tour in other Festivals and cities of Greece and it was welcomed as a significant artistic event of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, praised by critics and audiences who considered it even as the best production of "The Persians" they had ever seen. Christina Toumba, delivering the Queen's words from her wheelchair, shared the role together on stage with the deaf actress Christina Tsavli who incarnated her physical presence. Darius was portrayed by
Panos Zournatzidis, the Messenger by
Michalis Tamboukas, Xerxes by
Vassilis Oikonomou and Yiota Vei was the Chorus Leader. Chorus was consisted by
Aimiliani Avraam (Leader II),
Marina Besiri,
Michalis Grammatas,
Giorgos Iliakis, Marina Stamati,
Mary Stamatoula and
Efi Toumba. "The Persians" (472 BC) is Aeschylus' first saved play and thus more ancient one, and a fundamental stone for the art of theatre. The play is also the only one of the ancient Greek dramaturgy with a plot inspired not by myths which were also serving on stage as a reference to contemporary social and political events and issues like the other plays that eventually remained to the later generations, but it is immediately related with the historical events of the aftermaths that followed the Battle of Salamis, where Aeschylus fought in 480 BC. A significant factor of Aeschylus' legacy in the "The Persians" is the fact that he wrote about the victory of his fellow-citizens Athenians through the tragedy of their opponents, the Persians, caused by the loss of innumerable men due to the defeat of their army, which was led by Xerxes for the conquest of Greece. Here Aeschylus pointed out the only value of life, which is based on the humility and love that people share the one with the other in opposition to the hubris of the arrogance of power (such as the one of Xerxes) which can lead to a megalomania that devastates lands and ruins lives. Through this narration of the story, Aeschylus spoke about everything concerning human relations and life as it was also later developed by other playwrights and above all Shakespeare in many ways, setting thus the very substance of theatre that has much to do with the realization and sense of one's place through the understanding of the position of others.
