George Costacos was born in the heart of Athens. This newborn
made instant national headlines by... diving into the port of Piraeus. He's been
in the spotlight ever since.
According to his mother, "at age 3, George heard an organ-grinder passing
outside their garden. Running to the gate, he decidedly pointed to the monkey
and announced": "That's what I'm going to be!" The nightmare of every Greek
mother. "Fortunately, his father taught him the alphabet, numbers and time,
which got George into school before legal age."
With a restless childhood full of creativity and no TV in the house... this
painfully shy child found a natural outlet, front and center on the school
stage. He not only performed poems, stories and plays, he wrote them as well. So
bright was his starlight, they nicknamed him "Theatrino."
He kept performing, making little books and theaters, paintings, crafts and
strange inventions, including a flying hat which luckily didn't work when George
climbed to the roof of a 5 story house to try it. That didn't stop him from
trying to reach the sky however.
George was always fascinated with the Greek sky and sea, the Acropolis, the
ducks and plants in the National Garden, and his favorite island Aigina, from
where, he would watch his favorite show: the stars in the night sky reflecting
on the sea, meeting the lights of Athens across the water. It was there he
learned how to swim, while trying to fly over the waves toward the stars.
A bit on the eccentric side, this child's pets were three white roosters,
which he carried everywhere in a bag. They couldn't fly either.
George's first job in show business came at his uncle's island, open-air,
real-life "Cinema Paradiso." There he fell in love with musicals. As little
George flew his bike in everyday, his aunt's daily quote was "here comes our
manager." He displayed an unusual organizational ability to put things in order
and Greeks on a line -- a task few have ever managed.
He wrote and published his first "little newspaper" at the ripe age of... 9.
It was a delight to everyone and a horror to the mailman: the average mail
little Georgie received from all over the world was a bag a day. (Today it's a
registered trademark with select readers all over the world).
A top student and member of the national champion team in gymnastics, in his
adolescence George won medals, honors, two scholarships and continuing national
publicity. For this, he was flown to New York for studies, where, he was
discovered while accompanying a friend to an audition. The rest is flying
history, over a path that spans drama, music and literature.
George Costacos is the recipient of countless kudos for diverse and prolific
creativity as an actor and a writer, "carving the steady and significant course
of a dynamic artist who has bewitched with his multifaceted talent, knows how to
magnetize the lens of current events and puts his signature on every aspect of
his work" -- to quote a few of the glowing reviews in the abundant international
press.
With his passionate sense of drama and "boundless energy," George Costacos
has been dubbed by theatrical leaders and press alike as "an unencumbered spirit
with a mission," "an artistic chameleon," "a particularly distinguished actor,"
"a genuine child of the theater" with "a noteworthy career of quality work and
talent that is necessary, if not indispensable." Esquire magazine called George
Costacos "The most important Greek of Broadway."
George Costacos holds the honor of performing by Invitation in the historic
Athens 2004 Olympics Opening Ceremony, seen by 4 billion viewers. His image
circled the globe and has been issued on the official commemorative postcards,
books, posters and calendars. The only Actors' Equity performer in the event,
George's appearance once again made front page news, earning him further
commendations and the honor of marching in the Greek Independence Day Parade
with the Olympic banner.
Prior, in the 20th American Anniversary concert of Mikis Theodorakis' "Axion
Esti" at New York's Merkin Concert Hall, George became the first artist in the
world history of the epic oratorio to perform both the Nobel-prize winning
poetry of Odysseas Elytis and the celebrated popular songs -- earning praise for
"a pioneering double interpretation in this landmark work of Greek musical
literature." Numerous New York appearances include City Center, Musical Theater
Works, the 45th Street Theater, Hudson River Museum, and the legendary Sardi's.
His diverse dramatic works have been performed at Samuel Becket Theatre, 42nd
Street Collective (former Playwrights Horizons' division), Trilogy Theatre,
Alexander Hamilton Auditorium, Don't Tell Mama, Dicapo Theatre and others.
George starred in the flagship production of "The Emigrants" celebrating the
25th Anniversary of the Greek Cultural Center and was invited to perform his
poetry collection "The Fifth Season" in honor of the first-ever Hellenic
Cultural Month established by New York Governor George Pataki.
Among the countless stellar reviews for writing and performance, this
"incomparable interpreter" was... "compared to a legendary figure in the
Hellenic artistic firmament: that with his musical play "Greek Gifts," George
Costacos transformed the New York stage into old Athens, the way Melina Mercouri
had transformed it into the port of Piraeus" in an unforgettable Broadway debut.
This time George didn't dive into the port.
A renaissance man who consistently defies categorization, one of George
Costacos' many famous quotes is that his favorite art to master is "The Art of
Life Itself."
Portions quoted from "The Flying Georgie" and "Greek Gifts." All
press reviews quoted from the official website www.GeorgeCostacos.com
George Costacos was born in the heart of Athens. This newborn
made instant national headlines by... diving into the port of Piraeus. He's been
in the spotlight ever since.
