Dimitris Sardonis, or "Mimaros," gives the first performances of Karagiozis in Athens

Dimitris Sardounis, known as "Mimaros," born in Patras in 1859, is considered the patriarch of Karagiozis in Greece and one of the greatest creators of Shadow Theatre. Mimaros liberated the Greek Karagiozis from his Turkish predecessor's profanity and foul language. He introduced several innovations in the art of shadow theatre. He was the first to use acetylene as a means of illumination, designing and constructing the acetylene mechanism himself. He also built figures made of cardboard and widened the stage's width from 2 to 4 meters to have ample space to add various landscapes to the stage, depending on the performance. He also artistically developed and established the hut of Karagiozis and the serai of the Pasha and placed them opposite each other on the stage, as we know them now. At the same time, he enriched the theatrical acts of shadow theatre with characters, figures, and works from the Greek Revolution of 1821. In 1899 "Mimaros" visited Athens for the first time and gave a series of performances, from mid-August to late October and for the first time in "real" theaters of the time.

The "fragment" was added at the suggestion of Mr. Christodoulos Theodosis