Kostas Georgousopoulos, the esteemed theater critic, translator, and writer, widely recognized by his pseudonym K.C. Myris, has passed away at the age of 87.

The news of his death was announced on social media on Saturday by his brother, Vassilis.

Born in Lamia, central Greece, in 1937, Georgousopoulos pursued studies at the University of Athens’ Philosophy School, specializing in history and archaeology. He also attended the Drama School of the Athens Conservatoire, where he was mentored by the distinguished director Dimitris Rontiris and theater historian Giannis Sideris.

Georgousopoulos had a distinguished career in both private and public education. In 1978, he was commissioned by the Ministry of Education to compile and edit “Dramatic Poetry,” a textbook that remained a staple of the Greek middle school curriculum for 25 years.

His literary and academic contributions earned him numerous accolades. In 2008, he was awarded the Grand Prize for Literature by the State Literary Awards Committee for his lifetime achievements. In 2006, the University of Athens, at the initiative of its Department of Theater Studies, conferred upon him an honorary doctorate. He also received the State Prize for Essay Writing in 1986 and was honored by the Academy of Athens in 1999. Among his many distinctions, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the City of Athens in 2000 for his significant contributions to the arts.

Georgousopoulos began his career in theater criticism in 1971 at the newspaper To Vima, succeeding the celebrated writer Angelos Terzakis. He continued there until 1980, when the daily edition ceased publication, after which he joined Ta Nea newspaper as a theater critic, collaborating with journalist Alkiviadis Margaritis. During this time, he championed modern Greek theater, spotlighting works by prominent playwrights such as Iakovos Kambanellis, Vassilis Ziogas, Giorgos Skourtis, Marios Pontikas, Pavlos Matesis, and Giorgos Dialegmenos.

His critical essays, columns and commentaries were published in numerous volumes between 1982 and 2000. Under the pseudonym K.C. Myris, he also authored poetry collections, short stories, and song anthologies, many of which were set to music by notable composers like Yannis Markopoulos and Eleni Karaindrou. The same pseudonym appeared on his translation work, much of which centered on ancient Greek drama.

From 1990, Georgousopoulos served as a research associate in the Department of Theater Studies at the University of Athens. He chaired the Board of Directors of the National Theater of Greece and led the Ministry of Culture’s theater subsidy committee for two decades. Since 2003, he had been the president of the Museum and Study Center of Greek Theater.

Source: Ekathimerini.com