Program 541: Greek Theatre; Shakespeare in Swahililand; Iceland Airwaves

An Athenian theater director discusses drama's role as a building block of civil society since ancient times, and recommends some Greek destinations that are especially fascinating for the theatrically inclined. Then an English lit expert from Cambridge explains how the works of Shakespeare have been embraced in East Africa. And a radio DJ tells us about an Icelandic music festival that features an amazing amount of home-grown talent.

• Filippos Kanakaris, director of Syn Dromos Theatre Company, Athens, Greece
• Edward Wilson-Lee, author of "Shakespeare in Swahililand" (Farrar Straus Giroux)
• Kevin Cole, program director and on-air host, KEXP Seattle
• Feature from Travel with Rick Steves producer Isaac Kaplan-Woolner

• Filippos Kanakaris directs the Syn Dromos theatre company in Athens, which have recently performed a modern version of Medea. 
• The Theatre of Dionysus was built in the sixth century BC at the base of the Acropolis in Athens.
• Rick describes visiting the ancient theatre at Epidavros. 
• Edward Wilson-Lee teaches English literature at Cambridge University.  He's written "Shakespeare in Swahililand."
• Edward describes the importance of Shakespeare in the new nation of South Sudan, on Travel with Rick Steves program #512 in January, 2018.
• Rick's guide to Iceland.
• Kevin Cole hosts "The Afternoon Show" on Seattle's KEXP radio. His station has an online archive of ten years worth of Icelandic music.
• This year's Iceland Airwaves Festival will be held November 7-10 in Reykjavik.