Philadelphia will soon welcome Greek actor Lazaros Theodorakopoulos, who is bringing his highly acclaimed solo performance Night Just Before the Forest to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival on September 6 at 7:30 PM at the Time & Peace Café and Gallery. This one-man show, a tour-de-force production, is based on the work of French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès and is translated into English by Timothy Johns. Directed by renowned American mime artist Bill Bowers, the play delves into a stream-of-consciousness monologue where a man wrestles with the complexities of his life, all while Theodorakopoulos masterfully uses minimal props and costumes, all packed into a suitcase.

Lazaros, who has been an actor in both Greece and New York for over a decade, began collaborating with Bowers in 2021. His performance will mark Koltès’ Pennsylvania premiere at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, bringing the 1977 play, considered a significant work in French theater, to local audiences. The production is part of Theodorakopoulos’ 2024 U.S.-Canada tour, which has already made stops in New York, Oregon, Ohio, Missouri, and Canada.

Tickets for the performance are available at $22 for general admission and $17 for students. More details can be found on the Philadelphia Fringe website, or you can follow Theodorakopoulos’ work on Instagram and Facebook.