About
Hop Signor puppet theatre was founded by Evgenia Tsichlia and Thanos Sioris. Having studied and worked in different fields such as theater, education, science, crafts and humanities, they found in puppetry a common ground for expression. Puppets, with their poetic and symbolic power, became for them the means to share stories. Hop Signor use minimal scenic elements that leave space for the exploration of movement. It is this movement, in conjunction with the use of sound and light that form the company’s non-verbal vocabulary. Their stories are inspired by places, objects and people. They are funny stories, moving stories, stories that invite you to complete them with your own imagination and sentiments.
Evgenia completed an undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies at the University of Athens and took a postgraduate degree in Social Anthropology and History at the University of the Aegean. As part of her postgraduate fieldwork, she stayed with the Bread and Puppet Theatre and took part in their performances (Vermont USA). She has attended workshops in puppetry, mime and dancing from notable teachers in Greece and abroad. She has also worked as a puppeteer for children’s theatres performing in various schools. Since 2006 she teaches creative drama to children of all ages and creates performances with them. She has also been a member of the puppet theatre “Zluchtiria” since 2007, performing in many theatrical stages, schools and festivals. She has organised workshops for children and adults , concerning puppet construction and animation. Since 2016, she has been collaborating with Anneta Stefanopoulou of Bufos Puppet theatre.
Thanos completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematical Physics at Edinburgh University. His background in construction techniques came from studying musical instrument repair and construction at Anniesland College-Glasgow (classical guitar) and at the school of Kastoria (traditional Greek instruments). He has worked as a luthier and has also taught physical sciences in secondary education. He has attended seminars in puppet animation, light and set design, clowning, as well as in mask and automata construction.
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