The lights dim in Bossone's Auditorium and a figure in a flowing chiton floats to the stage, the walls resonating with Ancient Greek. A gong sounds and the audience is sitting face to face with none other than Socrates himself.

On Friday, November 9th, 2007, the Greek Studies Program co-hosted a reenactment of what could be considered as one of the world's earliest court dramas. President Papadakis was in attendance to introduce Yannis Simonides and his interpretation of Plato's Apology of Socrates. Simonides is an Emmy Award winning actor, as well as the President of the North American Foundation for Modern Greek Arts. Loukas Skipitaris directed the performance.

Plato's Apology of Socrates is Plato's representation of the trial of his mentor, Socrates, who was accused of crimes such as the corruption of youth, a disbelief in the gods of the time and the invention of new deities. The word 'apology' is not meant as we commonly think of the word, but is meant to mean a reasoned argument or writing in justification of something. However, the text is as much a critique of human values as it is a historical representation.

The text is said to be a historically accurate representation of the trial of Socrates and was not originally meant for performance. Simonides' adaptation of the work is oriented around entertaining the audience and bringing the words of Socrates to life. The performance was far from a philosophy lecture; Simonides portrayed the stoic as an approachable and deceptively-absentminded man approaching the end of his life with great ease. By the time the verdict had been read and Socrates turned to address his pupils, the audience felt as though they were among them, listening to a man who appeared more like a grandfather than an intellectual giant.

After the performance, the floor was open for questions. The audience could then adjourn to the main lobby for a light buffet, wine, and other refreshments.

An extensive bio of Yannis Simonides and the performance can be found here: http://www.artscenter.gr/newsletter/THE_APOLOGY_OF_SOCRATES.pdf