Stephie With A Why is a webseries conceived during the beginning stages in quarantine in New York. This satirical dark comedy consists of four episodes spotlighting on world events during the pandemic. The season finale, “Concerning Names” features Ms. Sylaidi. Her presence and the tenner of the episode takes the series in a fascinating direction. Ms Sylaidi appears as Macrame, an hysterical but “glamorous” character who – like a tropical bird – brings color and flash to the otherwise topical dramedy. “Macrame reflects the disregard some still have for the issues facing us these days. She is a funny wake-up call,” says Chrysi about her role.
Series creator, Mirra Kardonne, said: “I already knew from having seen Chrysi’s work that she has enormous gravitas and stage presence, she is uninhibited as a performer, brings vitality to her characters and is a delight to have on set or on stage. Having written the character in English, I immediately realized that in order to achieve the surrealism I was after for the scene, Macrame should deliver all her lines in Greek, which Chrysi translated. Her involvement in the episode is the element that brought it up to a level I would not have been able to achieve had I asked another actress to fill this role.”
Ms. Syladi won great praise in her native Greece for extensive work in classical theatre before coming to the United States and forming TeamTheatre at the Greek Cultural Center in Queens, NY. Her status as a formidable presence in NY theatre was further solidified by award-winning appearances with acclaimed companies such as Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre and Theatre East.
Stephie With A Why, directed by Mirra Kardonne and starring Ms. Kardonne, Chrysi Sylaidi, Ella Rivers, Rueben Clement, and Josh Davis is currently in consideration for nearly two dozen festivals, and has been officially selected for the Montreal Independent Film Festival and The New York Tri-State International Film Festival, in the Best Webseries category.
inDfilm 