Alzheimer's CURE Foundation, Inc.

Professor Antoinette Cakouros

Professor Antoinette Cakouros – Director – has been a Professor of Theatre at California State University of Sacramento in California since 1977, teaching Acting of all levels, Oral Expression of Literature, Movement, Opera Workshop and Theatre classes for Education Majors. She also developed a course in Drama Therapy for the Professional School of Psychology. As an actress, choreographer, director and writer, she has explored the complex and liberating processes that drama brings as its gift. Professor Cakouros believes theatre to be a healing art – sacred and potent – invaluable for psychodynamic therapy as well as the stage.

Some of the most important roles Antoinette has played are Agave from the Bacchae under the direction of the renowned director of the National Theatre of Greece. Jocasta from Seneca’s Oedipus, Liz Morden from Our Country’s Good, Ouisa from Six Degrees of Separation and one of her favorite musical roles was Anita from West Side Story.

Her direction and movement /choreography work in a production of Antigone garnered her an international award from the Professional Theatre Artists Guild.

Directing originals is always a favorite of Prof. Cakouros. In 1993 a production of There’s a fence Around My House, by Michele Soares was chosen from amongst 128 productions to compete at the regional/national level. This production was honored as one of two in consideration for the National Kennedy Center.

Prof. Cakouros served as choreographer and movement specialist in a production of Thousand Cranes, a great honor was bestowed on the production at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Antoinette has served her Church Community in Sacramento as a past dance director and as a member of the choir since 1977. Numerous projects in the community have been produced, choreographed and directed by Andonia with recognition locally, regionally and nationally.

Professor Cakouros was asked to deliver the keynote address in 1997 at her undergraduate alma mater, University of Pittsburgh, delivering her address to the honors students. It was a great honor for her. Her keynote address has been published by the University.

Antoinette has delivered papers and performed at three international conferences. Her papers are published in several languages.

She is currently working on a one-woman show to be produced June 2007 in Sacramento. The performance will be classical Greek monologues, original writings, chants and choreography by Antoinette woven into a Journey, a journey by which the Greek characters serve as guides and obstacles and become partner to her revealing and her own mystery. English, Modern Greek and Ancient Greek will be spoken or sung in the play.

For Antoinette Cakouros, her Hellenic roots have played an important part in her artistic journey. The passion she has for Greek Theatre is profound. Early years singing in the church choir, dancing the Greek traditional dances and exploring the complex psychological and spiritual messages of Greek poetry and Greek Drama as well as the Liturgy set a fertile ground for Antoinette to be penetrated by the sacred Mystery that is Greek Theatre. It is the Light and the Darkness that create her path. It is her belief in the Divine that infuses and informs her work as teacher, mentor and artist.

The Alzheimer's CURE Foundation, Inc. is honored to include her amongst its Board of Directors and is confident her celebrity status, experience and dedication will serve as a strong connection not only in the West Coast area, but on a nation-wide scale.