Maria is an actress and drama facilitator born and raised in Greece.
She trained at Dilos School of Acting in Athens while she was previously broadening her horizons with a MSc in Human Resources Management and a BA in Mediterranean Sciences.
Maria’s curiosity on people’s cultural and emotional diversity inspire her to continue her training in mask and physical theatre and further explore building characters. She has attended masterclasses and workshops in Commedia dell’Arte with Annie Ryan (Corn Exchange), Neutral Mask with Thomas Prattki (LISPA), Full Mask with Rachael Savage (Vamos Theatre), Physical Theatre with Ryszard Nieoczym, etc.
She also explores the full potential of the healing power of body through Yoga, Acrobatics, Contact Improvisation, 5 Rhythms, Qi Gong, etc.
Maria was a co-founder and actress of the theatre company No_Stage, with whom she debuted in an adaptation of Othello (W. Shakespeare), experimenting and exploring the potential of mask theatre and the poetic language. She travelled to various areas of the Greek province and Cyprus, performing in theatrical, non- theatrical spaces and other collective gatherings, in an attempt to revive the Greek travelling theatre companies and to offer a spectacle to the audience in isolated areas. Her acting
experience also includes roles in theatre and film productions as well as festivals in Greece (Athens & Epidaurus Festival), and in Europe (The 7 Deadly Sins Denmark, Strovolos Theatre festival Cyprus).
Maria is a co-founder and director of Creative Youthland, a youth organization in Greece aiming to provide experiences based on art forms (performing arts, dance, music) and creative and holistic approaches (outdoors, nature, games, etc). She also works as a freelance drama facilitator and trainer in the field of youth and community development, using non-formal learning methodologies and drama (eg. Living theatre, Labyrinth Theatre, View Points, Theatre of the Oppressed).