Bringing Classical Drama to Every Student
We believe the stories that shaped civilization should be accessible to anyone with curiosity and an internet connection. Our platform makes the profound worlds of Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama available to learners everywhere.
How We Started
Xolkrynex began in 2022 when two former university professors realized something frustrating: their most passionate theater students often lived thousands of miles away from quality classical drama education.
Helena Voss had spent nearly two decades teaching Greek tragedy at universities across Europe. Dimitri Kastro specialized in Elizabethan theater and modern performance theory. They met at a conference in Athens and discovered they shared the same problem.
Traditional academic programs required students to relocate, pay substantial tuition, and commit years of their lives. Meanwhile, casual online courses treated classical drama as entertainment trivia rather than serious literature that demands careful study.
We built Xolkrynex to fill that gap. Our courses deliver university-level rigor through online accessibility. Students work through structured lessons, analyze actual texts, and develop real understanding of why these plays still matter three thousand years after they were written.
What Drives Our Work
Access Without Compromise
Quality classical education shouldn't require moving to a major city or enrolling in expensive degree programs. We deliver serious academic content to anyone with internet access.
Depth Over Breadth
Rather than surveying hundreds of plays superficially, we guide students through deep engagement with core works that established Western dramatic tradition.
Context That Matters
We teach the historical, cultural, and theatrical contexts that make these works come alive, not just plot summaries and character lists.
The People Behind the Platform
Our founding team brings decades of classroom experience and genuine passion for making classical drama meaningful to modern students.
Helena Voss
Founder & Lead InstructorHelena taught Greek tragedy and classical theater at universities in Berlin, Vienna, and Amsterdam for 18 years before launching Xolkrynex. She specialized in comparative mythology and the evolution of tragic form from Aeschylus through modern adaptations.
Dimitri Kastro
Co-Founder & Curriculum DeveloperDimitri spent 15 years researching Elizabethan performance practices and early modern theatrical conventions. His work focuses on how Shakespeare's plays functioned as living theater rather than literary texts, helping students understand the plays as performances.
Our Teaching Philosophy
- Start with complete texts, not excerpts. Students read actual plays from beginning to end, developing familiarity with structure and language patterns.
- Emphasize historical context before interpretation. Understanding when and why a play was written prevents modern readers from imposing contemporary expectations.
- Analyze performance possibilities alongside literary elements. These works were written for actors and audiences, not silent readers.
- Build vocabulary progressively through repeated exposure to classical language patterns rather than memorizing glossaries.
- Connect individual plays to broader theatrical traditions, showing how conventions evolved and influenced later dramatists.
Ready to Explore Classical Drama?
Join students from 47 countries who are discovering why Greek tragedy and Shakespearean drama remain foundational to understanding Western storytelling, character development, and theatrical form.