Rebetiko

Making its North American debut at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Rebetiko is a poignant, visually stunning puppet performance by Marseille-based Anima Theatre. Directed by Yiorgos Karakantzas and written by Panayotis Evangelidis, the piece draws on the Greek urban folk music of the 1920s—rebetiko—as the sonic thread through a contemporary odyssey of exile, displacement, and resilience. Merging handcrafted puppetry, live and recorded music, and haunting video projections, Rebetiko creates a dreamlike landscape where memory and migration intertwine.

Originally conceived as a meditation on forced relocation and state violence, the performance is both timely and timeless. Through its deceptively simple gestures and richly layered imagery, Rebetiko offers a rare kind of catharsis—one that honors loss while affirming shared humanity. (60 min.)

Recommended for ages 8+  

Friday’s performance will be followed by a public conversation on migration, featuring:

• Emma Davis (Global Detroit)
• Melanie Goldberg (International Institute of Metro Detroit)
• Yiorgos Karakantzas (Anima Theatre, director)
• Professor William Lopez (U-M School of Public Health)
• Moderated by Professor Anya Sirota (U-M Taubman College)

After Saturday’s performance, at 3:30 p.m., everyone is invited to a reception and exhibition at the Hellenic Museum of Michigan. The reception will include an artists’ conversation and the exhibition traces the historical context of Rebetiko and opens the studio door on Anima Theatre’s puppetry, with artifacts and materials from the production on view.

Brought to Michigan through the University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative and with support from Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, this performance exemplifies the potential of international cultural exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration.