“The Zero Theatre”

A scene from the play Human assemblage walpurg: Jan Guntner attendant sister anna: Hanna Szymańska photo Aleksander Wasilewicz

A scene from the play Human assemblage walpurg: Jan Guntner attendant sister anna: Hanna Szymańska photo Aleksander Wasilewicz

“(…) NOTES TO THE “ZERO” THEATRE
Let us try to accumulate symptoms of life activity characterised by a strong
emotional potential . . .
l o v e, j e a l o u s y, l u s t  p a s s i o n, g r e e d i n e s s, g u i l e, c o w a r d i c e, r e v e n g e,

m u r d e r, s u i c i d e, w a r, h e r o i s m , f e a r, s u f f e r i n g . . .
This excellent explosive was used in the theatre for a long time as a basis for literary plot, dramatic action, intricacies, conflicts and sensation.
Its qualities and tendencies to  e  x p a n d  and  e x p l o d e  determined the choice of formal devices, naturally effective and of similar nature:
e x p r e s s i o n
m o u l d i n g
f o r m
i l l u s i o n
n a t u r a l i s t i c  a s s o c i a t i o n s  with life,
“figurativeness”. . .
 The development of this system of expansion is all too familiar to us, together with its splendour and glory.
Now we are interested in the moment when the means which became as if identified with the nature and essence of art,
inalterable (seemingly at least), binding formulas of the highest status – began to die, stiffen
and in the normal course of events the entire  impressive array or index of life symptoms
changed finally
into an empty props room.
Once we reject the already powerless formal devices,
i l l u s i o n, 

a u t o m a t i c  r e p r o d u c i n g  a p p a r a t u s
l i f e-l i k e  c o u r s e  o f  e v e n t s  i n  t h e  p l o t  
if we question the notion
of  f o r m  and  m o u l d i n g – 
all this load abounding in meaning, depth
– “above the zero level” –
Becomes useless.
Our sensitivity directs itself then towards such symptoms as:

u n w i l l i n g n e s s
a t r o p h y  o f  w i l l

a p a t h y
b o r e d o m
m o n o t o n y
i n d i f f e r e n c e
v e g e t a t i o n
r i d i c u l o u s n e s s
b a n a l i t y
o r d i n a r i n e s s
e m p t i n e s s…

These are disinterested states.
And this is our objective. (…)”

 

(Kantor, Tadeusz.  Metamorfozy. Teksty o latach 1938-1974 [Metamorphoses. Texts about the years 1938-1974] selected and edited by Krzysztof Pleśniarowicz. Cracow: Cricoteka, Księgarnia Akademicka, 2000, p.268.)

 

Translated by: Monika Markiewicz

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