SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER8–12 APRIL 2014

MEETING POINT

13 April 2014 | 06 | EN

SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER 13 APRIL 2014

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MEETING POINT

24th year of the International Festival of Theatre Schools SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER

8–12 April 2014

Editor in ChiefMartin Macháček

Vice Editor in ChiefKarolína Vyhnálková

Assistant of Vice Editor in ChiefKateřina Uhrová

Redactors Kateřina Balíková, Jasmína Finkeová, Jiřina Hofmanová, Tomáš Kubart, Karolína Svitálková

TranslationJana Cvetlerová, Hana Smištíková

Proof Reading of Czech VersionKlára Englišová, Jan Krupa

Proof Reading of English VersionAdrian Hundhausen

TypesettingMartina Víchová

PhotographersPavel Nesvadba, Lucie Říhová, Hung Vu Khanh, Petr Chodura

OrganizerJanáčkova akademie múzických umění v Brně Divadelní fakulta Mozartova 1, 662 15 Brno IČO: 62156462 DIČ: CZ62156462

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EDITORIALS

Editorial No. 7

Online Confession

A classic message from internet trolls escapes from my lips: “FUUU!” when I look at the neat piles of all the issues of Meeting Point; but it’s just an effort to defend, tooth and nail, a certain nostalgia. As you probably noticed, you are reading the last ENCOUNTER 2014 newsletter, one that is released only on the internet.

I apologized for showing sentiment in the fourth issue, now there’s going to be more of it. Those who are “quicker on the uptake” know I will give thanks, but don’t worry! It’ll come later, after I think a bit.

This year the organizers have tried to concentrate thematically on some kind of questioning of the boundaries of political, social and thought systems. There was something disturbing behind everything that was introduced by the companies on the stage. The perceptive spectator, actor or director has been absorbing the scepticism about a generally pessimistic situation like a sponge. For example, here in the small Czech Republic, a long term project has been going on underneath. Nowadays it’s already a well-studied precedent – “get rid of your theatre”. This year some lucky people succeeded in putting it to the test and they succeeded. Experts are alarmed, but as the Czech saying goes: “add dough to díže (wooden container used to make dough) and bake, for example, bread.”

Miriam Šedá introduced an uncomfortably childish atmosphere in her last reflection of this year (as you’ll certainly find after reading it). I associate the weird distortions of some words with how I would mark all the editors and other colleagues from the editorial team. In the language of Brno Indians, they are “schikulki.”

After six years of regular contributions as a reviewer, I was given a great honour. So: THANK YOU

Martin Macháček(holding back a tear)

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MAI

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ROG

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THE WARDROBEGERMANY, HANNOVER

Team work

Director: Prof. Stephan HintzeSet: Katharina Zerr, Anika NeubertCostumes: Aurelia Stegmeier, Hanna PetersChoreography: Stephan HintzeMusic: Heiko KlotzLighting Design: Thorsten KepplerFirst Night: 2/5/2013Cast: Alexandra Ostapenko, Lisa Schwindlng, Sophia Vogel, Sven Daniel Bühler, Lucas Federhen, Maurizio Miksch, Tomasz Robak, Yassin Trabelsi

Sometimes It’s Best To Take the Bogeyman Out of the Wardrobe

Finally, it is here; the last performance of the ENCOUNTER festival. Will it be “Wow” or something nobody remembers even at today’s final party? Wait for it…. it was…. WOW!

The name of the performance, Wardrobe, is significant: it is the only thing on the stage and everything revolves around it. It becomes a symbol of dreams, wishes, memories, and desires, but also of nightmares. The performance seems to be a variation on Burton’s mad situational skits together with the Adams family‘s absurdity. The spectator witnesses several consecutive and silent (though there are some exceptions) slapstick scenes. One of the many successful scenes is the representation of the dream of one character: in it the spectator finds himself at the seashore (hidden behind the door of the wardrobe). A fin appears in the sea, then a girl having fun in the waves.

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There is a man who doesn’t hesitate; he throws himself into the sea in order to rescue the drowning girl. The well-known music form Jaws is playing. The man is struggling in the waves trying to save her. Afterwards, he appears in front of a closed wardrobe with the expression: “Well, it just did not work out today.”

The actors’ appearances resemble characters from Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. This “ghostly” appearance is reinforced by beige costumes complemented with red elements here and there e.g. a musical instrument or a bow on clothing, and white make-up and striking eye make-up. The cast is brilliant in their acting. The performance includes not only German, but also Italian, French, Russian and Arabic. Yet this is not all. In addition to their linguistic and musical talent, the students of Hannover University are also very good when it comes to movement. Precise and synchronized scenes where the whole company is involved together with burlesque music create a very impressive image.

The viewer can sometimes miss a clue as to why exactly this or that is happening on the stage (e.g. during the “cute” copulation of a lion and a hare). However, such scenes are immediately given some kind of meaning, and it’s not necessary to think about the meaning of the whole scene. As the saying goes, “save the best for last” and the German company really rose to the occasion.

Kateřina Balíková

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The Hare, the Lion and the Wardrobe

The last day and the last performance of the main program. When I have a look at the stage for the first time, it strikes me how perfectly the set corresponds with this year’s design for the festival. It is really minimalistic. There is just a wardrobe on the stage. During the performance, in different scenes, the minimalism disappears. Still, the wardrobe remains the main thing perceived by the spectator.

In the beginning, the wardrobe is offered at auction. Whoever buys it gets not only the wardrobe, but also ghosts and their histories, fairy tales and dreams. Seven fourth grade students start the slapstick with surrealistic features after an inconspicuous beginning. Individual scenes alternated at a fast pace; there is no space for boredom. From the beginning to the end, the actors force the viewer to concentrate on their performance, and it works. The viewer is given an entertaining spectacle because the actors do not slow down for the whole hour.

During the performance not only German, but also Spanish, Romanian, Arabic, Polish, Russian and French are used. Speech is,

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however, unimportant in this performance; grotesque gestures, facial expressions, surrealistic images that alternate at a regular pace are the main features. Everything is highlighted by elaborate costumes, where white is the main colour on dresses as well as on bodies, and by black eye make-up.

After the wardrobe is opened for the first time, spirits we “ordinary” humans can identify with enter into our world. They reveal to us their wishes, tell stories about their youth, adolescence, bizarre children‘s games (among others in disguise as a hare and a lion), and also about experience and lost opportunities. Their feelings and experiences are projected into the wardrobe, surrealistic images with elements of the fantastic. Everyone can find a parallel with his own life. The Hannover University students borrowed their comic style and elements of slapstick from Kafka or Čechov. Improvisation is also an important part of the performance, and thanks to that Wardrobe is a creative performance, not only on the part of the actors but also the viewers. It is pleasant to find out that quality theatre can be done without extensive and meaningless monologues.

Karolína Svitálková

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OFF

PRO

GRA

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EWONDERFUL SCANDAL!

The editor of MP wasn’t invited and a renowned web server was forgotten!

When O2 was scarce in the foyer, the queue became a sweaty huddle, and managers from all year groups had worn out their shoes, a new dimension’s gates opened. Lighting effects, that ooooh great Bob Wilson wouldn’t be ashamed of, suggested that a superstar was coming. The mob was noisy and it echoed with shouts of “Madonna!” from some, while others said: “At least Nekonečný”.

The hall lights are turned off, the world‘s supposed to be a stage. This stage is covered by rising steam, lights make the spectators blind, the DJ is waiting. Expectations are almost orgasmic. The trapdoor opens, bang! and a mysterious voice (even two) are heard. The most resourceful guess that a pop queen Likeavirgin touched Britney Spears for the second time and together they sigh: “All my people in the crowd, grab a partner take it down!”

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Filip Teller and his translator were, to put it nicely, a slight disappointment. Even a demonic entrance and the anchor-man’s attempt to preserve a correct appearance can’t cover the embarrassment of the moment. However, subsequent surprises helped us to forget this initial part of the last night.

It doesn’t matter when you forget to take your glasses to the table. No one recognizes the ladies anyway and they are happy to bathe in the spotlight and give the awards to the right owners. The names of performances are insignificant because the audience is swept up in applause for the winners. (Well, something about ideology and propaganda was mentioned.)

Setbacks end in omission of a very important theatre webpage (which is certainly unnecessary to mention) among the media partners. The disillusionment of the people present (including foreign participants) is resolved in a bizarre pageant; the number corresponds to the Kelly Family, the appearance to YMCA.

It is also striking how the evaluation of the reception is avoided. Small portions of strange delicacies that are nothing similar to Czech Gothaj or Vlasšák, wrapped in non-ecological packaging are not a surprise to anyone. The art of organizing receptions is not part of the curriculum at the university. Who wants an overly attentive waiter?

Yes, it would be charming to leave an ironic commentary buried somewhere on the internet, but it’s impossible, the closing ceremony failed to provide a regular flow of emotions and must be supplemented.

There are many unimaginable things in the universe, I get this; from nine circles of hell to full implementation of Hegel’s idealistic philosophy. For me, it is still unimaginable how the dedication and diligence of the festival editors is unimaginable for theatre professionals and people. Organizers are not the first to be disparaged, but I would be happy if I was the least to be looked at. Sure, ordinary editors get experience, a record of publication and often a certificate of

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practice. And most importantly, they get it before the first morning birds begin to sing.

The editor in chief’s post is very different: operating a full three shifts, having a huge responsibility on your shoulders and moreover being pissed off. Proofreading, proofreading, proofreading, article, proofreading, proofreading, typesetting, photos, typesetting, typesetting, printing, printing, printing... its price/quality ratio is far beyond the national average, but nobody cares about giving thanks.

And so it is left to me. Even at the cost of an apparent product placement. I thank you (and I hope WE thank you, at least we from the editorial office, but I hate using a convenient academic plural) Martin Macháček for the fact that you didn’t stop caring about Brno. That you are able to correct our missteps, blunders, stylistics, debility, and other niceties until sunrise. Your energy, precision and aesthetic demands nurture us all, whether we like it or not.

Sentiment was dealt with and the festival may finally end with honour.

Jiřina Hofmanová

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PHOTOS FROM THE CLOSING CEREMONY

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“Every Man and Every Woman Is a Star.” (Aleister Crowley)

There were questions about Scottish, Polish and Czech performances on Monday morning that dated back to the previous days. These were about improvisation and collective work. There was also a question mark about the space given to the female and femininity in world drama. While the first question was answered by shrugs: “Everybody’s doing it somehow,” the second question stirred up passions. Do women have enough space in world drama? 90% of the female panellists thought about the idea that the male minority may also be under pressure because of being “a big proud man with a heart and inclinations to chivalry.” And at the same time, men were dismissing the idea that women’s roles were less frequent because there were fewer plays by them. And there are fewer plays because men have more time to write while their (house)wives are taking care of them.

Elona Bajoriené had many superlatives and praise for the Scotish performance: “I really really liked the text as well as the performance. It was a discovery… beautiful scenography and an exciting text.” Another debater noted that dramaturgy and criticism were not taught at her university, and despite that fact, the text written by the students was very good. The panellists took up the question of using Jacquese Lecoqua’s method and his “via negatia” very soon, as reluctantly claimed by the Polish company. “There are teachers and mentors at our school. The teachers explain

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the methods to us, but the mentors are the ones that help you to get somewhere.” Noel Witts tried to sum up an answer to the second question: “The theatre is a mixture of experience, it is a collective work. You don’t do what you are told by the teachers… It’s not enough to begin a story with a dominant male character…. This week, we have seen performances by males or pedagogically lead by men. This is why it might have seemed like male theatre to us.” Paul Bourne’s opinion concerned performance practice: “The reason why we love theatre is that sometimes things are not the way we would imagine them… You aren’t only students and you have a right to be upset when something does not work out… it is precisely because of this imperfection the theatre is what it is.”

Tomáš Kubart

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PART

YThe Last Party

The last party of this year’s festival had already slowly begun in the Goose on a String theatre, right after the closing ceremony. Wine – red, white and rose – was flowing all the way. The waiters were circling around debating groups, offering small but surely tasty refreshments.

Before all this gathering moved to Livingstone, we parted with the festival with the sounds of the accordion and slightly drunken singing. Even “They killed, killed a guy from Kolocava” was heard, such a typical sound for the Goose. (This is a song from the legendary production Ballad for a Bandit, which is in the repertoire of the Goose on a String.)

I just can’t figure out where everyone had gone, because Livingstone was surprisingly calm at the beginning. It filled up during the night, almost to bursting! Everybody was trying to suck in the last sips of the festival atmosphere and get as many new contacts as possible, especially with Slovenia.

While chatting I noticed that a few people had disappeared behind a closed door. My curiosity was increasing, so I decided to figure it all out. I opened this “magical gate” and suddenly I found myself in a paradise. A very pleasant room, filled with bright lighting, its very own bar and many benign persons sitting around tiny tables. Then I witnessed the transfer of an imaginary scepter of duties onto (younger) colleagues.

Saying goodbye was difficult, but on the other hand appropriately spectacular.

Jasmína Finkeová

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LITTLE NO

THIN

GHuge Something

I was told by an editor to make a great leap in my writing. After “something positive” he also wanted me to write “something sentimental.” He’ll have it. He didn’t need so many handkerchiefs even in November 2012 when a narrower amendment to ban the name “pomazánkové máslo” passed. I can be sentimental.

Recently, I learned that there was quite an interesting group of (later less) sophisticated kitsch-makers, who, among others, called themselves “Brno Indians”. An organization hated by all according to available data (but even that is not entirely clear). Still, I find it extremely likeable that they carried out their ideas for a small, or rather so-called “small” sum of money, and piled up mountains of plush without any meaning, mainly for pleasure. In this sentimental mood I mention some terms due to which I fell in love. Words like “szkatulki” or “szunki” will be an integral part of my vocabulary.

Miriam Šedá

PS: If – and I won’t understand that – I got so much space (due to some accident) in next year’s Meeting Point, I would name the section Hokaido. But most of all, I would sign it with a pseudonym, something that would be appropriate for an ironic commentator. In short, regardless of the topic of SETKÁNÍ/ECOUNTER 2015, I would write as a man with poor English, and it would help the translators, because they had a difficult job with my articles this year. They would translate it into Czech.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments.

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AWAR

DS WHO WAS AWARDED?

THE MARTA AWARD

SCRIPTFor script which represents artistic hope for the futuretoMeghan Tylerin performance: Nothing to be donefrom The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow

COSTUMESFor costumes and the whole body make-up that corresponds to poetic and stylisation of the whole performancetoAurelia Stegmeier and Hanna Petersin the performance: The Wardrobefrom The University of Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany

FEMALE ACTORFor convincing acting performance in the role of mother Kabanova representing energetic involvement and means used in extraordinary generation adaptation of Ostrovsky`s The StormtoAntonina Soninain the performance: How Can I Ruin You if I Love You More Than Life....from Saint Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy, Russia

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DIRECTINGFor leading of the project, for connection the idea with the real action on the stage, for the interplay of the team of actors, for the choice of means of expression, including music and lighting and for the timing of whole productiontoEmiliano Russoin the performance: From Pinocchiofrom The Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, Rome, Italy

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR AWARDFor the unique acting performance linking internal authenticity with the ability of the epic expressiontoTomasz Lipińskiin the performance: A couple of Poor Polish-speaking Romaniansfrom The Leon Schiller national Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre, Lodž, Poland

E:UTSA AWARD (STUDENT JURY)

For opening up the space for collaborative work by trusting many voices within his teamin the performance: From PinocchiotoEmiliano Russoin the performance: From Pinocchiofrom The Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, Rome, Italy