PERFORMANCE of the VII and VIII ACADEMY for THEATRE PRACTICES (2007-2009)
theatre comic book
Excerpts from the ODYSSEY form a comic book theatre, realized by the graduates of the VII and VIII Academy for Theatre Practices GARDZIENICE in an international cast.
The fragments, “taken out” from Homer’s Odyssey, were supposed to be like traps from which the graduates of the Academy, in their diploma performance, had to free themselves with the help of all the GARDZIENICE theatrical means of expression – and above all they should unleash their artistic imagination.
Work on the performance began in 2008 – the students focused on the text of Homer’s ODYSSEY, composing music, working on the text, movement, singing. They created a universal concept of the performance – their ODYSSEY is a common impression, “a wink of an eye”, a stage joke, a wit, “the theatre comic book” where everything happens suddenly, quickly, “from around the corner” – the most important are the energy, the joy and the dynamics, of which the young actors posses so much.
Artistic supervision: Włodzimierz Staniewski
Lights: Paweł Kieszko
Music: Piotr Znamierowski
Zofia Barańska (Kirke, Siren)
Juliane Ehle (Calypso, Muse, narrator)
Katarzyna Kapela (Tiresias, the narrator, Siren)
Esztella Levko (Calypso, Siren, narrator)
Marie Paskova (Calypso, the narrator)
Emilia Śniegoska (mother of Odysseus, the narrator)
Michał Brańka (Odysseus, the narrator, Second deck hand boy)
Maciej Hanusek (First deck hand boy, narrator)
Jakub Szymczyna (Cyclist, Mason, Jew, Ayash)
In later casts also performed: Daniella Vitova, Emilia Raiter
ODYSSEY is more of a well done collage of scenes than a uniform story. Here Staniewski puts a woman in the centre, as a source of temptation and sensuality. Odysseus is just a pawn in the hands of heroines – vain, beautiful and lofty coquettes who sing in several languages. ODYSSEY is an exhibition of the actor’s craft, ideas and imagination. At times it is even a Cabaret joke of the highest quality.
Agnieszka Michalska, ‘Dziennik’ 11.2009
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