MATI KORAJA A Slovene street theatre spectacle Inspired by Bertolt - - PDF document

MATI KORAJŽA

A Slovene street theatre spectacle Inspired by Bertolt Brecht’s play Mother Courage Kamnik, 27. 9. 2012 (pre-premiere) Maribor, 28. 9. 2012 (premiere) Ljubljana, 29. in 30. 9. 2012

Introduction This paper is a collection of working materials for the creation of a collective performance by Slovene street theater groups entitled “Mother Courage”. In the last few years the domestic street theater scene has developed greatly in many interesting directions, especially in terms of quality. In 1999, Ana Monro Theatre, KUD Priden Možic, Dejmo stisn’t teater, Teater Gromki, Torpedo Theatre, Javšnik I drugovi came together and collectively created a performance, Passion Play. It was performed twice, in Ljubljana and in Maribor during the street theatre festival Ana Desetnica. In Ana Monro Theatre we unfortunately fell into existential difficulties which hindered the continuation of Pasijon and similar collective projects but I am nevertheless convinced that the collective work gave an impetus to the street scene of the time. I believe it is time again to step together and collectively create a performance that goes beyond the frames of our own individual abilities. Furthermore, the project represents an opportunity to work together as artists and the chance to establish long-lasting connections. The fact that we will include twenty more or less random foreigners who will join us in the last week of creation as active extras gives an additional value to the project. I am positive that Mother Courage will be a good performance and spectacle. I hope it will continue

• n beyond the five showings that are planned. No doubt, time will tell. By all means I hope to reach a

new way of cooperating and a development of a street theatre community based on collaboration and mutual support. Encouraging healthy competition can be fruitful for everyone. Therefore I invite you all to join us! Goro Osojnik Ana Monro Theatre

Description of the project From 2010 through to 2012, the description of the project Mother Courage was sent to numerous application calls. It is a part of Ana Monro’s regular production program, and is supported by Maribor, the European Capital of Culture 2012, and Ljubljana Tourism. It is also in application process for funds from the Lifelong Learning European Community Programme. The following text is more or less what is written in the applications:

The source of ideas which the performance Mother Courage will be based on is drawn from Brecht’s play of the same name, adopted to the present state of Slovene society and politics, which also hints at a possible escalation of social division into an armed conflict that would release the accumulated tension in society. Although the war metaphor is grim, it is deeply perceived. The performance offers drastic action as an alternative solution and takes the medieval straightforwardness of people’s sacrifice in torture and condemnation as a reference point. This historical setting is subverted into the relation of authority vs subject. The subversion is represented by a twist in the performance, a catharsis

• f a deprived little man who meets the possibility of catharsis through the virtual torture of the superiors.

The realization of the performance will be positive and very attractive despite the fact that the topic is somber. It will be a spectacle with more than twenty actors, a strong side of the performance being also the visual aspect - unusual machines, prominent costumes, impressive music and numerous performers. Space-wise, the performance will be a combination of independent actions and site specific interventions directly connected to a concrete location. The surroundings of Ljubljanica river and its embankment as specifics of Ljubljana and streets and courtyards in Maribor. Thus the performance is tightly linked to the local urban structure and takes advantage of it. Another link to the specifics of local environment will be a cast of extras or minor roles. A part of performance will always stay particular and localized due to the fact that a big part of performers will be amateurs, people from the local environment, residents, volunteers, who will be instructed in the workshop/laboratory. The performance is designed as a project which will connect Slovene artistic groups of different generations active in

• Slovenia. Basic production, artistic management and direction is the result of active cooperation of two leading street

theatre groups Ana Monro Theatre (Goro Osojnik) and KUD Ljud (Vida Cerkvenik Bren and Jaša Jenull), which will now join forces with numerous excellent street theatre artists such as Bimbo teater (Alenka Marinič and Urška Mlakar), Trio Amore (Dušan Teropšič, Tina Janežič and Maša Ceglar), Improliga (Juš Milčinski and Luka Korenčič), KD Priden Možic (Goran and Anja Završnik), duo Niavke (Manca Uršič and Katjuša Kovačič), Trije Težki (Kaja Balog, Tea Vidmar and Leon Vidmar), Teatro Papelito (Brane Solce) and others. The performance will be interesting for a wide spectrum of audiences, including the foreign audience, as it is based on the language of gestures, feelings and action and not on the spoken word. It is set as a symbolic and actual connection of the two Slovene capitals, the actual capital Ljubljana and the 2012 cultural capital Maribor, one co-producer of the project being also Maribor 2012 Institute. The premiere of the performance will take place in Maribor.

Setting Mother Courage on the street The decision why I chose Bertolt Brecht and his Mother Courage as a base for a street performance has multiple reasons. In the attachment you will find an abridged note on Brecht and Mother Courage. However, I still recommend reading the play itself and therefore I will not write extensively on the details. It is definitely a challenge to transform a text-based play into a street theatre performance. Besides this, the theme of war and people who are involved in it willingly or not, seems very up-to date nowadays or even realistic bearing in mind the current crisis and its devastating effect on the so called first world. At the same time, the image of pulling the military canteen wagon is very street-like. In general Brecht’s estrangement effect seems very suitable for the street, since his focus in theatre is to remind the spectator that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself. This is in fact a similar principle to what we try to create on the street – a theatre in the frames of the real life and not the real life itself. I invited Vida and Jaša, members of theatre collective KUD Ljud, to co-direct and help developing the

• project. While discussing we found numerous elements of the play that are suitable for the street.

Certainly , the play is not convenient for the street due to the lack of concrete action but as a source of adaptable content it is definitely a good point of departure and inspiration for a performance. Asking ourselves why Mother Courage gained so much success we came to the point that it was very current at its time for its allegoric approach to the actual attitude that Germans expressed towards Second World War. In present time in Slovenia this is not relevant, therefore we decided to treat the play in a light and easy way . Broadening the historical frame we can take various historical eras with their iconographies and symbols and set them within the Slovene nation as a principal theme of the performance. It inevitably brings us to the division which dominates the Slovene society and represents something invincible. The idea is to show this situation and also find a resolution for it in the performance itself. Besides this, we decided to take one or more songs from Brecht’s play (I hope to convince Andrej Rozman Roza to recreate the song and Goran Završnik to set it into music), the character of Mother Courage, her wagon, the travel and such elements. Upon actors’ needs or wishes we will use certain parts, dialogues, scenes, etc. of the play that translate well into street theatre language. Our wish is to create a spectacular performance, reaching the broader audience. The obvious first suggestion was to create a huge, spectacular and fascinating wagon which would serve as a moving

• stage. We soon came to the conclusion that the circumstances do not allow the creation of such

carriage and besides, a big and picturesque scenographic element can easily become limiting as we would need to use it in each scene thus leading us to monotony . Nevertheless, the concept of travel and carriage remains very attractive and suited to the street. Upon reflection we approached the matter in a more original way and so came to the idea to use the expressive richness of large performing troupe who can convert into anything whatsoever – also into a wagon. This brought us to decision to

invite twenty foreign participants – enthusiastic amateurs who will be instructed during the workshop. Actually the role of the workshop participants will be essential for the staging of the Mother Courage, since their role will be similar to the choir in the Greek drama. They will be a group body – representing Mother Courage’s cart, or the army and similar. Many artists, each with his own expression, will and knowledge will participate in the creation process. Therefore it is crucial to assure that each participant has sufficient room for his expression. At the same time it is not realistic to expect long sessions of work with the whole ensemble. Hence, the scheme of the performance is modular and precisely presented in the following chapter. All the collaborating groups and individuals will be responsible for their parts and performances within the creation process. Indeed, we will all participate in the whole show which is to last just under an hour and will include four or five large group scenes. Apart from that numerous individual interventions of 5-7 minutes will happen. During the coordination process, individual scenes and interventions will be chosen which will compose the performance and so form the storyline. Afterwards we will start working individually until the last fourteen days when we will work on setting the whole performance together and finally triumphantly stage it on the street. We expect the whole process to run smoothly and easily , rising into intensive work which will last fourteen days. This last phase will be set in Kamnik where the Kamnik Cultural Center (Dom culture Kamnik) will offer hospitality and provide the practice space. Eagerness and genuine cooperation of all participants is indispensable to reach this final stage of the creation. The shape of the performance As a traveling performance, it moves together with the audience which is in constant interaction with the performers. The heart of the performance is represented by the Mother Courage’s the canteen

• wagon. However, the cart is not real; the base is a small vehicle which could be a simple tricycle that

carries the sound equipment if needed and a sort of a structure enabling a performer to climb up the level above audience. The rest of the carriage is represented by separate pieces such as wheels, drawbars, cart tilts, held by extras and performers and eventually the audience. The whole crowd moves together from one location to another. During the travel, micro scenes and interventions addressing just a few spectators at time, will take place. It all begins on a square, representing an open market where numerous actions will be performed by actors while the audience slowly gathers. The wagon with Mother Courage interrupts all this chaos and draws the caravan of performers and the audience to next location. Besides being a visual element, the wagon serves also for sound. Once reaching the destination, the wagon disappears – separate elements of the cart are moved away until the next travel. Here, the first big scene takes place. Details will be decided in the process of creation. The actual architecture - windows, roofs and balconies, will also serve as scenography . At the end of each scene, the wagon is formed again and the whole caravan moves on. The content of the scenes will most likely emerge from the play , although not necessarily . After the first two or three big scenes, the audience will be divided into two groups, each following its

• path. The division will be as sharp as a knife cutting through the middle of the crowd, separating also

couples, friends, etc. irrespectively . Each of the two separated groups now follows a different part of performance where both are led to enhance the sense of loyalty to the local group, using various slogans and similar tools. Slowly they are encouraged to strongly identify with the offered symbols. Each group worships different symbols and flags but both cheering the same slogans. In the end, the groups come together again, this time as a confrontation – one against another, each with their insignia, symbols and flags, cheering identical slogans supporting their own ideals. We would like to bring this confronting situation so far to reach the moment when a possibility for a conflict will become a serious threat. The action is concluded by a liberation scene when beautiful girls throw flowers from the windows and cheer for the winners. The performance turns into a joyful party , a dance of liberation when everyone, especially the spectators, should be dancing and celebrating. At a certain moment, the wagon with Mother Courage is formed again and silently leaves the site. Ideally , the party continues and the performance is over. The song of Mother Courage sang by one or more performers on various occasions is one of the most important connective elements of the performance. The costumes and props will be collected in several costume warehouses so they certainly won’t be

• uniform. We will definitely also need to create some costumes. The idea is to set individual scenes and

interventions into a certain actual time, possibly in war time. The wagon and other scenic elements should look very basic and primitive, maybe even drawn on a cardboard. The technical equipment should be minimal. As a day performance it doesn’t need lights, the sound equipment should only consist of one set which is transported about. Timeline Beginning of April invitation to participating groups April 16 coordination of participating groups + collective meeting + a skeleton of performance segments / individual actions of participating groups May/June individual work on performance segments + collective meeting June 11 & 12 collective coordination of participating groups + nearly the last version of the scenario July/September finalization of individual performance segments + agreements on costumes, set, props August 27 & 28 collective coordination of participating groups + last version of the scenario September 21 – 26 rehearsals / training/ laboratory/ workshop with 20 participants from all

• ver E urope + performers from Slovenia

September 27 pre-premiere in Kamnik September 28 premiere in Maribor September 29 & 30 second and third showing in Ljubljana

Graphical development of the show (in Slovenian language)

Production The performance Mati Korajža is produced by Ana Monro Theatre, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia, the City of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Toursim and Gruntvig /Life Long Learning sources of EU. The main co-producer is the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) – Maribor 2012. Rehearsing space will be provided by Dom culture Kamnik (Cultural Centre Kamnik) and Narodni dom Maribor. All the performers involved are artistic co-producers, Kud Ljud being the main artistic co-producer.

Useful liks

Ana Monro Theatre:

www .anamonro.org

KUD Ljud:

www .ljud.si/

Maribor European Cultural Capital 2012

www .maribor2012.eu

Bertold Brecht:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertolt_Brecht

Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Courage_and_Her_Children

Yutube:

• Das Lied der Mutter Courage LIVE interpretiert von *Cherrys Band* in der Traube Durlach 1984.

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=Es9MBhlz77k

• Meryl Streep - Mother Courage and her Children 2006

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=mWApVvqM-W0&feature=related

• MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN at the University Theatre

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=oeYwFzBNk2k

• Mother Courage and Her Children

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=RamUHLOKH8g&feature=related

• Song of the Soldier and his Wife -- Mother Courage and Her Children

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=_GXy5CsTT2I&feature=related

• Bertolt Brecht Collage

http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=W2H-eJWW3ps&feature=related

Mother Courage Song:

http://www .kampflieder.de/liedtext.php?id=6046

Movie:

Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder (1961) 151 min - Drama | War - 10 February 1961 (East Germany) About the movie: http://www .imdb.com/title/tt0054106/ for those, who are capable of downloadning movies – the file is called: gme-mutters_courage.avi links: https://www .mysterbin.com/detail?c=70624282 http://nobbyisttoll.iload.to/en/title/166274-Mutters-Courage/