The Consulate General of Greece in New York invites the public to a special evening dedicated to the power of storytelling and performance. On Thursday, November 20, 2025, acclaimed Greek actress and author Stella Rousaki presents her new book White Reality, published internationally by Austin Macauley Publishers.
This cultural event will feature a book presentation, discussion, and a 20-minute theatrical performance, exploring how White Reality bridges the worlds of literature and theatre.
Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire and Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, White Reality delves into the fragility and futility of human communication—the eternal struggle to truly understand one another. Where literature meets theatre, White Reality emerges as a powerful artistic dialogue between imagination and human truth.
The performance will feature Christos Vassilopoulos and Eleanna Finokalioti as Stanley and Blanche, alongside American actors Francesca Ravera and Sam Vartholomeos, in a cross-cultural artistic fusion that reimagines classic theatre through a contemporary lens.
Speakers include Sozita Goudouna, Professor at the Sorbonne University; Robert Richter, Artistic Director in Connecticut and representative of the O’Neill Society; Peter Danish, award-winning author, playwright and Senior Editor at Broadway World; and Danae Stamatopoulou, Greek actress and translator of White Reality.
The project aspires to evolve into a future Off-Broadway production, expanding its creative journey and continuing its exploration of the intersections between Greek creativity and the American stage.
Event: Presentation & Theatrical Performance of “White Reality”
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 6pm
Venue: Consulate General of Greece in New York
Admission: Free – Limited seating( RSVP registration via link into the invitation)
Short Biographies of the Participants
Stella Rousaki / Actress, Author, and Director (Crete, Greece)
She studied acting at the Vasilis Diamantopoulos Drama School in Athens and apprenticed under internationally acclaimed director Pantelis Voulgaris. She has performed in six stage productions and appeared in a guest role on Greek television.
As a playwright and director, she has created five plays and a short film script that has been nominated at both domestic and international festivals. Her first play, White Reality, premiered in Athens in 2018, followed by Tennessee – The Spectacle of Time (2020), When the Clock Stops Ticking (2022, selected for the Off-Off Athens Festival), and Casting Call (2024).
Christos Vasilopoulos / Greek Actor Based in Los Angeles
A graduate of the “Iasmos” Drama School, he began his professional career while still studying. Two years after graduation, he joined the National Theatre of Greece.After seven years of continuous work in theater and television, he starred in one of the most popular TV series of its time. He collaborated with major directors and productions in Greece before moving to the U.S., where he appeared in films, commercials, and TV series including Banshee (Allan Ball), The Last Ship, The Closer, Blindspot, Whiskey Cavalier, and Warrior. Along with actor Giorgos Karamichos, translated Ivana Chubbuck’s The Power of the Actor into Greek.
Eleanna Finokalioti / Greek Actress, Based in New York
Also a mezzo-soprano, dancer, and activist.
(BA in Performing Arts, Queen Margaret University – National Conservatory of Athens). She won the 2nd Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Olive Festival of Milan.
Television: A Night in August (ERTFLIX).
Off-Broadway credits include Goodbye New York, Anne Frank: A Musical, Bald Boy: The Musical, A Chorus Line, Sophia Vembo: I Remember You (GRis Festival 2024), Onassis (as Maria Callas), and the upcoming Always Young.
She released the album Journeys of the Soul with guitarist Panos Margaris and has served on the juries of the San Francisco Greek Film Festival and ALPINALE Kurzfilmfestival.
Francesca Ravera / Award-Winning Actress Based in New York
Recently starred in Truth Be Told at the Gene Frankel Theatre.
Off-Broadway appearances include The Hummingbirds, Constellations, Blackbird, Two Rooms, and The Nina Variations, with several productions touring Italy and Europe.
She has performed at Urban Stages Theatre in Espresso and The Way We Get By.
Film credits include Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey and the award-winning short Claire, for which she received multiple Best Actress awards at international festivals.
She serves as a jury member for the New York Movie Awards, Telly Awards, and Gene Frankel Theatre Festival.
Sam Vartholomeos / Greek-American Actor from Queens, NY
Known for his role as Mike in The Crowded Room (Apple TV+).
Television credits: Bridge and Tunnel (EPIX), Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access), Law & Order: SVU, Bull, and The Following.
Film credits: Drive-Away Dolls (2024), A House of Dynamite (2025), The Family McMullen (2025). Stage work includes A Play is a Poem (Mark Taper Forum) and Prodigal Son (MTC).
Danae Stamatopoulou (Moderator) / Actress, Translator, and Author Based in Athens
Translator of White Reality, Odd Couple, and Special Occasions.
Graduate of the “Iasmos” Drama School and the University of Glasgow (M.A. in Classics and Politics). Co-creator and performer of When Callas Met Monroe (as Maria Callas).
Stage credits: Love Was One Day Late (National Theatre of Northern Greece), Zorba, Our Town, Group Therapy, California Dreaming.
Television: Helios (Ant1 TV).
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