{"id":161,"date":"2018-05-06T09:27:15","date_gmt":"2018-05-06T09:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/?p=161"},"modified":"2022-02-06T21:30:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T21:30:06","slug":"forum-and-function","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Forum and Function"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Barry Gaines<\/strong><a href=\"#end\" name=\"back\">*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-green-cyan-background-color has-background\"><strong>16<sup>th<\/sup> Europe Theatre Prize Festivities in Rome, Italy, December 12-17, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attending the theatrical productions of the 16th Europe Prize festivities, I was less intrigued by the acting than by the scenic and costume choices. Yet, too often, I felt that these elements\u2014as impressive as they were\u2014did not comfortably meld with and enhance the productions. An example was the first play presented at the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"video-1\">Video 1<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 12px;\" align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aKaxP2fQHIY?rel=0\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br>Awarded the Europe Prize in 1994, Giorgio Barberio Corsetti returned with his play <em>Re Lear<\/em><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-163\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" data-attachment-id=\"163\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-1-per-16europe-photo-re-lear\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-1-PER-16Europe-photo-Re-lear.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"700,466\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D700&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1507740344&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;85&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 1 PER-16Europe photo Re lear\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Director Giorgio Barberio Corsetti and actor Ennio Fantastichini as Lear. Photo Achille Le Pera&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-1-PER-16Europe-photo-Re-lear.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-1-PER-16Europe-photo-Re-lear.jpg?resize=700%2C466&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-1-PER-16Europe-photo-Re-lear.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-1-PER-16Europe-photo-Re-lear.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption>Director Giorgio Barberio Corsetti and actor Ennio Fantastichini as Lear. Photo: Achille Le Pera<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Giorgio Barberio Corsetti\u2019s treatment of William Shakespeare\u2019s monumental tragedy was set in modern times, with the characters arrayed in sport coats, slacks and gowns in bright crayon colors by Francesco Esposito, responsible for set and costumes designs. Furniture was lowered on ropes from the fly space above the stage; platforms and tall metal bridges with stairs were wheeled on and off stage for characters to climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-164\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" data-attachment-id=\"164\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-2-re-lear-stairs\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"700,466\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 2 Re Lear stairs\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;L-R Francesca Ciocchetti (Goneril), Francesco Villano (Edmund) and Sara Putignano (Regan). Photo Achille La Pera&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?resize=700%2C466&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption>L-R Francesca Ciocchetti (Goneril), Francesco Villano (Edmund) and Sara Putignano (Regan). Photo: Achille La Pera<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most arresting was Giorgio Barberio Corsetti\u2019s introduction of \u201cpost avantgarde\u201d videographics in <em>Re Lear<\/em>. An example: a huge back wall projection of Lear\u2019s two daughters lying down, each pointing a leg at the audience as if they were twins conjoined at the hips. Lear makes his entrance through an opening in the screen at that sexual apex. I recognize that Barberio Corsetti was providing an \u201cinterpretation\u201d or \u201cmeditation\u201d on <em>King Lear<\/em>, but as a student and teacher of Shakespeare for over thirty years, I longed for madness and redemption rather than midlife crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-165\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"568\" data-attachment-id=\"165\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-3-per-16europe-virgin-photo\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-3-PER-16Europe-virgin-photo.jpg?fit=400%2C568&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"400,568\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1510054855&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 3 PER-16Europe virgin photo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Virgin Suicides featured Lena Newton\u2019s scenography and Teresa Vergho\u2019s costumes. Photo Judith Buss&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-3-PER-16Europe-virgin-photo.jpg?fit=400%2C568&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-3-PER-16Europe-virgin-photo.jpg?resize=400%2C568&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-165\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-3-PER-16Europe-virgin-photo.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-3-PER-16Europe-virgin-photo.jpg?resize=211%2C300&amp;ssl=1 211w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption><em>Virgin Suicides<\/em> featured Lena Newton\u2019s scenography and Teresa Vergho\u2019s costumes. Photo: Judith Buss<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Video was present in other plays as well. Indeed, the performance of the M\u00fcnchner Kammerspiele production of <em>The Virgin Suicides<\/em>, directed by Susanne Kennedy, that I saw was so technologically overburdened that the curtain was delayed for an hour due to \u201ctechnical difficulties.\u201d The program listed Rodrik Biersteker as responsible for \u201cvideo.\u201d Teresa Vergho\u2019s wild costumes had the boys in the story dressed as manga dolls in white nightgowns and masks with large blue eyes and elaborate hair. Timothy Leary was invoked for \u201ca journey out of your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Video provided one of the repeated enactments of Robert Wilson\u2019s reincarnation of his 1986 production of Heiner M\u00fcller\u2019s elusive <em>Hamletmachine <\/em>(1977). M\u00fcller has, however, given us an inkling of what he was up to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>My texts are written so every or every second sentence shows the tip of the iceberg, and what is underneath is nobody\u2019s business. Then the theatre people put on their wetsuits and dive down looking for the iceberg or building their own.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, according to M\u00fcller, one director has used his dramatic scuba gear to delve for the iceberg the most successfully. M\u00fcller called Wilson\u2019s mounting of <em>Hamletmachine<\/em> \u201cthe best production ever\u201d because, \u201cWilson never interprets; a text is simply there, and it is served up, and not tainted in any way and not explained. It is there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-166\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" data-attachment-id=\"166\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-4-per-16europe-untitled\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-4-PER-16Europe-Untitled.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"700,466\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photographer:Alfredo Anceschi&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1380472133&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Copyright: Alfredo Anceschi&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;2000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 4 PER-16Europe-Untitled\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The juggling act Untitled is performed to the music of Pablo Esbert Lilienfeld and to the lighting designed by Rocco Giansante. Photo Alfredo Anceschi&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-4-PER-16Europe-Untitled.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-4-PER-16Europe-Untitled.jpg?resize=700%2C466&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-4-PER-16Europe-Untitled.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-4-PER-16Europe-Untitled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption>The juggling act <em>Untitled<\/em> is performed to the music of Pablo Esbert Lilienfeld and to the lighting designed by Rocco Giansante. Photo: Alfredo Anceschi<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBeing there\u201d was also important in Italian Alessandro Sciarroni\u2019s choreographed performance piece paradoxically called <em>UNTITLED_ I will be there when you die<\/em>. Four young men toss juggling clubs into the air and catch them in ever more complex patterns\u2014accompanied by an electronic soundscape. Sciarroni has explained, \u201cIn this [juggling] repetitiveness, the time we give ourselves is extremely stretched out so to leave space for meditation.\u201d I found that the time being \u201cextremely stretched out\u201d came dangerously close to boredom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-167\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" data-attachment-id=\"167\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-5-per-16europerichard\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-5-PER-16EuropeRichard.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"700,466\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Paolo Porto&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1498749227&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Paolo Porto&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;170&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 5 PER-16EuropeRichard\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;In Richard II, Graziano Piazza as Thomas Mobray (left), Maddalena Crippa as Richard and Alessandro Averone as Henry Bolingbroke. Photo Paolo Porto&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-5-PER-16EuropeRichard.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-5-PER-16EuropeRichard.jpg?resize=700%2C466&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-5-PER-16EuropeRichard.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-5-PER-16EuropeRichard.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption>In <em>Richard II<\/em>, Graziano Piazza as Thomas Mobray (left), Maddalena Crippa as Richard and Alessandro Averone as Henry Bolingbroke. Photo: Paolo Porto<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakespeare was better served in renowned German director Peter Stein\u2019s Teatro Metastasio di Prato production of <em>Richard II<\/em>. Though seldom performed, the play has a fascinatingly flawed central figure and beautiful passages of poetry. Again, the acting did not impress me as much as the scenic design by Ferdinand Woegerbauer and costume design by Anna Maria Heinreich. Director Stein positioned his richly clad actors with the precision and balance of a Renaissance painter. The aborted jousting scene offers a fine example. Richard and his entourage were seated behind a cutout in the dark backdrop overlooking the field of combat. A rich tapestry hung beneath them. Flanked by opulently appareled heralds, the Lord Marshall stood in a white robe, black sleeves and a long sash over his left shoulder. The combatants wore two marvelous sets of chain mail and armor, and carried massive lances. Shakespeare had Richard stop the combat before it began, but Stein, understandably, had the participants lunge at each other twice before the King stopped the proceedings. It was a memorable scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To play King Richard, Peter Stein chose his wife, the excellent actress Maddalena Crippa. She presented a powerful and focused King Richard, but I did not find the self-centered, impetuous, poetic king that I think the first part of the play calls for. The actress was better, I thought, in the scenes that followed Richard\u2019s deposition. Her rendering of the captive Richard\u2019s final speech before being assassinated was touching. There was strong support from Alessandro Averone (Bolingbroke), Laurence Mazzoni (Aurmerle) and Graziano Piazza (Bishop of Carlisle). But Stein\u2019s production of <em>Richard II<\/em> was three hours long with intermission, and some audience members became restive. The performance deserved better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-168\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"466\" data-attachment-id=\"168\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/photo-6-per-16europeroma-armee\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-6-PER-16EuropeRoma-armee.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"700,466\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Ute Langkafel MAIFOTO&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;MEHMET ATES\\u00fc\\u201aI\\u00fa, Simonida Selimovic\\u00ab, Sandra Selimovic\\u00ab, Mihaela Dragan, Lindy Larsson, Orit Nahmias in \\nROMA ARMEE NACH EINER IDEE VON\\nSandra Selimovic\\u00ab, Simonida Selimovic\\u00ab\\nVON\\nYael Ronen \\u0026amp; ENSEMBLE\\nREGIE\\nYael Ronen\\nB\\u2020HNE\\nHeike Schuppelius\\nMALEREI \\u0026amp; ARTWORK\\nDamian Le Bas, Delaine Le Bas\\nKOST\\u2020ME\\nMaria Abreu, Delaine Le Bas\\nMUSIK\\nYaniv Fridel, Ofer Shabi\\nVIDEO\\nHanna Slak, LUKA UMEK\\nLICHT\\nHans Fr\\u0178ndt\\nDRAMATURGIE\\nIrina Szodruch&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1505158294&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Ute Langkafel, Galerie MAIFOTO, Dresdener Str. 18, 10999 Berlin\\nTel 0172 3920884, info@maifoto.de\\n\\n\\u00a9 Ute Langkafel MAIFOTO&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;35&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"PHOTO 6 PER-16EuropeRoma armee\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;In Roma Armee, the scenography is by Heike Schuppelius, the painting by Damian Le Bas and Delaine Le Bas, costumes by Maria Abreu and Delaine Le Bas. Photo Ute Langkafel&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-6-PER-16EuropeRoma-armee.jpg?fit=700%2C466&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-6-PER-16EuropeRoma-armee.jpg?resize=700%2C466&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-6-PER-16EuropeRoma-armee.jpg?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-6-PER-16EuropeRoma-armee.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption>In <em>Roma Armee<\/em>, the scenography is by Heike Schuppelius, the painting by Damian Le Bas and Delaine Le Bas, costumes by Maria Abreu and Delaine Le Bas. Photo: Ute Langkafel<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The last production was a rollicking, yet heartfelt, musical revue designed\u2014on the classical model\u2014to entertain and educate<em>. Roma Armee<\/em>, by Israeli playwright Yael Ronan and her ensemble of actors at Gorki Theatre in Berlin, had a compelling European immediacy with actors from Austria, England, Germany, Kosovo, Romania, Serbia and Sweden. The subject is the Romani, or Roma, the landless itinerant people concentrated in Europe and the Americas but widely spread around the world. In English, they are known by the often-derogatory term \u201cGypsy,\u201d related to the misbelief that they originated in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"video-2\">Video 2<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qExZ28lJQpE?rel=0\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Romani have no homeland or origin story or written history. For centuries, they have wandered, connected by the Romani language and by Romanipen, a complex mix of culture, spirit and law that features an ideal of freedom. Roma often meet resistance from the natives of the countries they inhabit and their lives teeter between maintaining their ethnic identity and assimilating with their neighbors. <em>Roma Armee<\/em> gives them a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Powerful feminist spokeswomen for the Romani people, sisters Sandra and Simonida Selimovi\u0107, provided \u201ca collective act of self-empowering artistic action\u201d with director Ronen to develop the play. A fantasized backdrop map emblazoned \u201cGypsyland Europa\u201d\u2014designed by the late Damian Le Bas and his wife Damiane\u2014was variously highlighted during the opening musical number. The company of eight (six Roma and two gadj\u00e9\u2014non-Romani) were costumed by Delaine Le Bas and Maria J\u00falia Ubaldino Abreu in riotous outfits that often suggested gender ambiguity and fluidity. Vocalists Riah May Knight and Lindy Larsson brought Broadway and the Met in their duets. The Selimovi\u0107 sisters rapped in what I am told was a Serbian punk rock style. Yaniv Fridel and Ofer Shabi were responsible for the rousing rhythms. This musical history of Roma discrimination, oppression and exclusion swirls with confessions, denunciations and demands for change. No one can deny the sincerity of their insurrectionary message.<a name=\"end\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-attachment-id=\"162\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/forum-and-function\/barry-gaines-214x300\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/Barry-Gaines-214x300.jpg?fit=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"214,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark II&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1406027481&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;70&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Barry-Gaines-214&amp;#215;300\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/Barry-Gaines-214x300.jpg?fit=214%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/Barry-Gaines-214x300.jpg?resize=150%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-162\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a name=\"end\" href=\"#back\">*<\/a><strong>Barry Gaines <\/strong>is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at the University of New Mexico, where he taught Shakespeare from 1979 to 2009. He reviewed theatre in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, for fifteen years, and is the former Administrator of ATCA, the American Theatre Critics Association. He is currently editing a volume for\u00a0<em>The Complete Works of Thomas Heywood<\/em>\u00a0for Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Copyright <strong>\u00a9<\/strong> 2018 Barry Gaines<br><em>Critical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques<\/em> e-ISSN: 2409-7411<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/88x31.png?w=750&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:14px\">This work is licensed under the<br>Creative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barry Gaines* 16th Europe Theatre Prize Festivities in Rome, Italy, December 12-17, 2017 Attending the theatrical productions of the 16th Europe Prize festivities, I was less intrigued by the acting than by the scenic and costume choices. Yet, too often,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[28],"class_list":["post-161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-performance-reviews","tag-by-barry-gaines","","tg-column-two"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2018\/05\/PHOTO-2-Re-Lear-stairs.jpg?fit=700%2C466&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Xk3S-2B","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1474,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions\/1474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}