Acclaimed Shadow Theatre Artist Spatharis Dies 18 May 2009 9:15 AM, PDT
Acclaimed Greek shadow theatre artist Evgenios Spatharis has died after suffering head injuries in a fall. He was 85.
Spatharis died on 10 May at an Athens hospital after falling from a staircase on his way to a performance.
He is credited with bringing the traditional Karagiozis puppet-theatre plays - about a thief who wormed his way out of difficult situations - to mass audiences through television, recordings and cinema.
Spatharis created the Spathario Museum in a suburb north of Athens in 1991, devoted exclusively to his art - a dying medium in Greece and once the only organised form of public entertainment.
He also collaborated with theatre and dance companies to expand the art form and was honoured with several awards throughout his 67-year-long career.
In 1962 he was honoured with the Rome Prize - a prestigious American award handed to emerging artists.
More recently, Spatharis was recognised by the Greek culture ministry, whose directors handed him the title of 'Grand Master' in recognition of his great contribution to his art in 2007.
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