eksperiment 3
politisk dramatik i europæisk perspektiv
Forsøgsledere: Jens Christian Lauenstein Led og Isabelle Reynaud fra Laboratoriet.
I rækken af Laboratoriets eksperimenter er turen nu kommet til en undersøgelse af det politiske engagement i tysk, fransk og dansk teater. Vi har dannet tre grupper hver bestående af en auteur (dvs. en instruktør, der skriver eller en dramatiker, der instruerer) og tre skuespillere, og de tre grupper arbejder i 5 dage parallelt med at afprøve auteurens bud på, hvordan et nutidigt, politisk engageret teater kunne produceres og tage sig ud.
Grupperne arbejder henholdsvis på tysk, fransk og dansk. Hver auteur har selv taget en skuespiller med fra deres egen land, og vi har derudover engageret 2 skuespillere til auteurerne, der henholdsvis taler flydende fransk, tysk og dansk.
Til lejligheden har vi lejet Teater Katapult der bliver bygget om til et internat, hvor deltagerne kan sove og spise sammen og derved få mulighed for en mere uformel udveksling af erfaringer på tværs af de tre grupper.
DE DELTAGENDE AUTEURS:
CLEMENS BECHTEL,
tysk instruktør og dramatiker, uddannet ved Institut für Angewandte Theaterwissenschaft i Gießen. C.B. har arbejdet i hele Tyskland både på de etablerede teaterscener og i det offentlige rum som f.eks. i år i Amts-Rådhuset i Tübingen. I øjeblikket arbejder han på et teaterprojekt, hvor temaet er asyl i Sibiu (Rumænien). CB laver “Polit-Theater” hvor skuespillernes liv og erindringer involveres og er med til at danne forestillingens historie, form og fremdrift.
Under eksperimentet arbejder C.B. med følgende skuespillere: Katarina Schrøter(Tyskland), Samy Andersen (Tyskland/Danmark), Dorthe Hansen Carlsen (Danmark).
Clemens Bechtel on political theater:
Theatre and Politics. Our place is occupied. In it stands today mediocre acting politicians in high polished set designs declaring to the dictators of the world: “Sire, give freedom of thought!” They pretend to be defenders of those deprived of rights, they turn the parliaments in to what appears to be moral institutions, and reciting their memorized text they fight for the same things for which playwrights were thrown in prison 200 years ago (and in some countries they still are).
In a world this enlightened, where lies the function of the political theatre? Without any sense of orientation we theatre-makers stumble through the world literature endlessly repeating the neverchanging formulas of equality and tolerance. But maybe the theatre must change and become an institution of immorality. At least an institution radically questioning our (apparent-) morality, and opening to other perspectives. The one who believes the Western idea of civilisation is the only one capable of prevailing in a globalized world is a fool.
To me political theatre means a change of perspective. Maybe we need to learn to see the world through the eyes of the Islamic terrorist, through the eyes of women circumcising their daughters, through the eyes of mass murderers, the war criminals and the starving children. Maybe that will make us realize that our categories of good and evil are no suitable mean to a better understanding of the world.
EUGENE DURIF:
fransk lyriker, dramatiker, filosof og instruktør. Siden 1986 initiativrig Kultur-og Litteraturskribent samt dramatiker. Siden 1990 eksperimenterer han med små intime, politiske forestillinger tæt på Kabareten. ED har skrevet et utal af dramatiske værker og er for tiden en af de mest spillede franske dramatikere – ofte på Théâtre Ouvert.
Under eksperimentet arbejder E.D. med følgende performere: Karelle Prugnaud (Frankrig), Emmanuelle Limal (Frankrig/Danmark), Helle Bach (Danmark).
Eugène Durif on political theatre:
I am less and less sure what is to be understood by ‘political theatre’. So in failing to understand it, I try to speak about the world, to approach the real, but in a paradoxical, even ambiguous way. With the blackness of humour (and sometimes the grotesque) and the violence of the poetic. Without being too concerned with whether or not one is on the side of the good ideas. That’s it. But these are only intentions, distant wishes. In the meantime I do what I can!
NINA LARISSA BASSETT:
dansk instruktør og dramatiker, cand. mag i teatervidenskab, leder af gruppen Teater Uden Grænser og medstifter af det engelske That Theatre Company, har arbejdet i både England og Danmark. NLBs engagement i sociale emner, især kønsdebatten, har sat sit præg på hendes arbejde. Hendes dramatiker-debut om trafficking af kvinder §125a skal spille på Edinburgh Festivalen in 2006.
Under eksperimentet arbejder N.L.B. med følgende skuespillerinder: Nanna Bøttcher, Lene Hummelshøj, Julie Riis.
Nina Larissa Bassett on political theatre:
I’m in doubt about the exact meaning of the concept of ‘political theatre’ in contemporary Denmark. I question whether it is possible to create truly political theatre here. Many artists are producing theatre that often get categorized by others as political theatre (this is great!). Most of these artists, including myself, are cautious of labelling our work as strictly political - possibly because labels quickly become stifling. Is it really possible to create political theatre in a classic sense in Denmark? In my opinion political theatre is in direct conflict with those in power / the structures of power.
In this country, all legal forms of rebellion are quite quickly integrated, digested and swallowed op by the eternally good and pulsating hyper-democracy – signifying Danish tolerance (or indifference?). In fact this system is very shrewd, as it is able to pacify rebellion and prevents it from gaining any real power. In effect politicians in power can pop down to Nørrebro’s Teater after a nice meal and laugh their hearts out at their own dealings in war, lies and sycophantic behaviour towards superpowers – and no one gets hurt in the process.
There is however a movement in Danish theatre that expresses a great need to comment on the structures of society and deal with moral issues. I recognize this movement in myself, and this is why I think, I am attracted to creating performances that deal with a political/ social content.
I have the privilege of having a media at my disposal - and for a short period of time, the audiences lend me some of their time – I’d like to create experiences that question the way in which we have structured our lives and the question the structures of power behind these structures. This is a way of showing respect to the time given me – as well as an integrated personal curiosity. Some claim that everything is political, but I think that is too easy.
All things can be political but it depends on how you choose to present it and what questions you ask in the process of creating. I believe that it is the questions that create a political content.
