Phi (Φ) is chaos and beauty in perfect harmony—a golden ratio of polarity, much like the wild, unpredictable art of acting.
In Greek, the word topos means place.
For theatre, it means something simpler: our place.
Phi Playhouse is that place.
The word appears inside others—topography, utopia, topic—but here it refers to something concrete: a space where work happens, where people gather to practice, test, and remain in contact with their craft.
The name Phi Playhouse comes from the Greek letter Φ, associated with the golden ratio (1.618). Not as a symbol to explain, but as a quiet reference to balance, proportion, and relationship.
Actors cross thresholds all the time: stepping onto a stage, facing a camera, opening a script, entering a role. A studio should feel the same. You enter, and something shifts. On this side of the threshold, there is permission: to explore, to listen, to experiment, to fail without consequence, and to return.
Phi Playhouse exists to hold that space.
Welcome to Phi Playhouse.
Within it works the S.A.M. Ensemble.
S.A.M. is not an invention. Similar ensembles and laboratories have existed throughout the history of acting. We see ourselves as part of that lineage: a long-term working group, a laboratory for ongoing practice rather than presentation.
S.A.M. stands for Sunday Actors Mass. It began years ago as a small group meeting every Sunday, not out of obligation, but out of need. Those Sundays became a rhythm—a shared commitment, a simple ritual of showing up to work.
Over time, the group grew. Today it includes close to one hundred artists: actors, writers, dancers, directors, teachers. Different paths, different practices. What connects them is not hierarchy, but continuity—and a shared curiosity about the work.
Born in Sweden in 1978, Kimon has developed a multifaceted career as an actor, acting teacher, coach, writer, director, and play translator. His journey in the performing arts began as a graduate of the renowned “Art Theater of Athens” (Theatro Technis Karolos Koun). He later deepened his studies through the “Experimental Stage program for actors and directors” at the National Theater of Greece, working with GITIS-trained teachers, and ultimately graduating as an actor from the Demidov School of Theatre under the mentorship of Professor Andrei Malaev-Babel—a philosophy to which he has now dedicated his work.
With over 20 years of experience, Kimon has collaborated with Greece’s leading directors in theater and television, and has worked with renowned filmmakers in film and commercials such as Panos Koronis, Neritan Zinxhiria, Vardis Marinakis, Yiorgos Lanthimos and Christos Nikou.
His teaching practice reflects the evolution of his artistic focus. While he initially embraced and continues to support versatile techniques such as Meisner, Michael Chekhov, and the M.Katselas method—becoming a certified Meisner teacher under Larry Silverberg and teaching the Katselas technique under Sofia Papadopoulos—his primary commitment is now to the Demidov School philosophy.
Between 2008 and 2018, Kimon frequently traveled to the U.S., where he expanded his expertise in various acting methods. He also mentored as an acting coach under C. Thor for five years. However, his four years of study under Professor Andrei Malaev-Babel solidified his focus on the Demidov School of Acting. Today, as a course leader for the International Demidov Association under Professor Malaev-Babel’s supervision, he demonstrates a deep dedication to this approach.
Kimon taught at the Art Theater of Athens for 12 years. He is currently teaching at the Academy “Theater IΟΘ,” while simultaneously running his private coaching studio, Phi Playhouse, where he leads S.A.M., Greece’s first lifelong learning ensemble for professional actors. Phi Playhouse hopes to serve as a hub in the future for his work with the Demidov technique, nurturing actors in alignment with this philosophy.
In addition to his teaching and acting work, Kimon was a program designer at Aegean College, where he collaborated with East 15 London Conservatory to create Greece’s first BA program in acting. His ongoing contributions to actor training are also featured in the book Michael Chekhov and Sanford Meisner: Collisions and Convergence in Actor Training (Routledge, 2020).
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Administator
Administator
