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26 Haziran 2018 Salı

sinema tadında tiyatro: fc bergman'dan "JR"


önceden bildiğiniz, işlerini tanıdığınız bir yönetmenin veya topluluğun gösterisine bilet alırsınız; beklentiniz az çok bellidir, genellikle sürpriz olmaz, memnun kalırsınız, ya da bazen düş kırıklığına da uğrayabilirsiniz, ama yine de, eğer o yönetmeni/topluluğu seviyorsanız, iş kötü de çıksa takip etmiş olmak yeterlidir sizin için.
bazen de hiç tanımadığınız bir yönetmen veya topluluk çıkar karşınıza, vaktiniz müsaittir, alırsınız bir bilet ve hiç beklemediğiniz şekilde büyülenirsiniz; o yönetmen/topluluk belli bir süredir mevcuttur ama sizinle yolu kesişmemiştir daha önce, onu yeni tanımışsınızdır. hele de çok bilinen bir yönetmen/topluluk değilse, onları sanki siz "keşfetmiş" gibi hissedersiniz. işte, fc bergman da benim için öyle oldu.
holland festival'e gidiş nedenim, önceden işlerini, tarzını bildiğim ivo van hove'nin yönettiği altı saatlik "roma trajedileri" idi, boş akşamıma da fc bergman'a bilet almıştım. "roma trajedileri" şahaneydi, fc bergman'ın 4.5 saatlik tour de force'u "JR" da!

fc bergman belçikalı bir kolektif. 2008'de bir araya geldiklerinde altı kişilermiş, şu anda dörde inmişler, ama diğer iki sanatçı hala toplulukla dirsek temasındaymış.
fc bergman'ın internet sitesine girip baktığınızda, işlerinin fotoğrafları zaten sizi yeterince cezbediyor; işlerinden bahsedilirken pina bausch, romeo castellucci ve christoph marthaler referansları veriliyor; iki yıl önce yere-özgü işleri "het land nod" (nod'un ülkesi) ile, tiyatro camiasının greenwich'i avignon festivali'ndeymişler.

geleyim "JR"a:
"JR" william gaddis adlı amerikalı bir yazarın 1976'da kaleme aldığı 600 küsür sayfalık bir tuğla-roman. merkezde; şirket kurup wall street'e uzanan 11 yaşında bir ortaokul öğrencisi var, çeperde ise eşzamanlı olarak alakalı alakasız bir sürü karakter ve hikaye.
romanın bir diğer ilginç yanı ise; sadece diyaloglardan oluşması, o kadar ki diyalogları kimlerin söyledikleri bile belirtilmemiş. romanı baştan sona okumadım, bir kaç sayfasına göz gezdirdim; kasırga gibi allak bullak edici, bir taraftan da bulmaca gibi bir metin.

fc bergman ekibi tam da romanın biçimsel özelliğini kullanan bir sahneleme gerçekleştirmiş; nefes kesici, cezbedici ve eğlenceli.
bir kere yapım konvansiyonel bir tiyatro binasında sahnelenmiyor, sahnelenmesi de mümkün değil zaten, hatta konvansiyonel bir kara-kutu sahne de imkansız. devasa bir hangara ihtiyaç var. mesela amsterdam'da 1934 yılında inşa edilmiş yiyecek hali'nde (central markıjthal) sahnelendi.

devasa boşluğun ortasında dört katlı kare tabanlı bir kule, adeta bir babil kulesi gibi yükseliyor; dört tarafına seyirci tribünleri yerleştirilmiş. hikayelerin günümüzün babil'i new york'ta geçtiği ve çok karakterli olduğunu düşündüğümde, yapımın mekan tasarımını benim okuma şeklimin, yani benzetmemin ötesinde; fc bergman kolektifi de sahnede gerçekten bir "babil kulesi" yaratmak istemiş olabilir.

kulenin katları beyaz kalın storlarla örtülü. bu dört katlı kulede; bazı katlardaki storların yanlara doğru açıldığı, her katta her yönde mekanların olduğu, bu mekanların içinde oyunun karakterlerinin eşzamanlı olarak yaşadıkları, iki kameramanın katlar arasında mekik dokuyarak yaşananları canlı kaydettiği, canlı kayıt görüntülerinin storları o sırada kapalı olan katların beyazperde görevi gören yüzeylerine yansıtıldığı, oyun sırasında tribünlerin yan boşluklarından sahne görevlilerinin ya kuleye eşya taşıdığı ya da kuledeki mekanlardan eşya götürdüğü, storları kapalı katlarda duvarların bile yerlerinin oyun esnasında değiştirildiği bir düzen kurulmuş; inanılmaz bir zamanlamayla, saat gibi tıkır tıkır işleyen, kimsenin kuyruğunun kimseninkine dolanmadığı müthiş bir trafik tasarlanmış.

oyunculuklar çok iyi, dekor ve kostümler, müzik, ses ve ışık tasarımları; hepsi tek kelime ile mükemmel.
üstüne üstlük; canlı video görüntülerinin kalitesi film tadında. yani o iki hareket halindeki kameraman tarafından canlı kaydedilen görüntüleri üzerinde hiç oynama yapmadan olduğu gibi kullan, al sana bir paul thomas anderson filmiı; dönem bakımından "boogie nights" havasında, eşzamanlı olarak bir çok hikaye anlatımı ve arka planda kullanılan ritmik müzikle bu hikayelerin birbirine bağlanarak bütünselliğin sağlanması gibi kurgu/biçim tercihi açısından ise kesinlikle "magnolia" tadında.
4.5 saat nasıl geçiyor farkına bile varmadım; tek, flemenkçe bilmediğime hayıflandım, çünkü ingilizce altyazıyı okurken ister istemez kulenin çeşitli katlarında eşzamanlı gerçekleşen olayları istediğim gibi takip edemedim. hoş, flemenkçe bilse bile insan, aslında bu yapımı dört defa seyretmek lazım; dört ayrı yönden/açıdan.

"JR" mart ayında antwerp'te prömiyer yaptıktan sonra gent'te ve amsterdam-holland festival'e konuk oldu. bundan sonraki açıklanmış ilk turnesi taa nisan 2019'da paris'e.
imkanı olanlar kaçırmasınlar; çok özel bir deneyim!


(fotoğraflar: mehmet kerem özel, 17.06.2018, central markthal - amsterdam)

5 Temmuz 2016 Salı

two works by peeping tom for ndt I: "the missing door” and “the lost room”

photo: danzon

atmosphere and inspirations
you come to the theater to see a dance or a dance theater piece, but it is impossible to define what goes on the stage as dance or dance theatre. yes, these two works contain parts with dance and also certain characteristics of dance theatre too. however, similar to other works or their creators which i had seen, it seems that, for them, rather than dance choreographies, it is more important to design a choreography to create a certain atmosphere on the stage. an atmosphere having the qualities which no one ever thought to create on stage before.

their inspiration is not a secret of course, especially the cinema of david lynch and all the things that those movies evoke: a mysterious, weird, surreal and nightmare-like atmosphere…
as for the content, i can associate it with ingmar bergman cinema: digging the relationships/problems in human relations, especially those in the family (between woman-man, parent-child, mother-son, mother-daughter, father-son) in such a way to hurt the parties…
in terms of stage aesthetics, firstly pina bausch and alain patel come to my mind…

in fact even only the names of the works give themselves away: "the missing door" and "the lost room".



beginning
a décor built in the emptiness of the stage: a room defined by its floor and two perpendicular walls. there are numerous doors and windows on the walls. one or two people sitting on the chairs in the empty spaces in two sides of the décor on the stage. some of the spotlights are placed in these areas and made a part of the atmosphere that was created on the stage: the ones that watch the scene on the stage and we, the audience, who watch both.

when we first encounter this stage under a darkish light when the curtain is raised, a light coming on and off from the pee hole of the door facing us is visibly seen; as if there is someone behind the door and looking at us from the hole. as one moves the light coming behind him/her goes off and reappears, just like when you look at the neighbor’s door when you are outside in the stair landing and think that there is no one home if there is light from the hole, but if there is a movement in the light you feel you are watched… this is the same situation, the same awkward feeling…
just like the name of the company who created these two works is “peeping tom” which means “watching/peeking” in slang, this work starts with a mise en scene that fully fits into their name.



illusions 
the doors open and close by themselves; a woman comes out of the man sitting on the couch; a man and pieces of paper scatter into the door which is opened by the wind; a built-in cabinet appears behind when the door, which had just opened to other space, is reopened; people who are lost in the bed; people who who come out of the bed; people who get lost in the side table; cabinets that keep lots of people who were stuck in them and fall out when the cabinet doors are opened; appliques that move along the walls on their own; wiping cloths escaping from the hands of their users and many more…

some protagonists only use décor doors when they go backstage (or maybe we should call this behind the décor) and come back to the stage (décor), while some of them freely pass from the side of the décor to go behind and to come afore. there should be a logic in stage traffic explaining when some of them use the décor and when some of them never use the décor. although i have watched the play for two times, i couldn’t figure this out because despite the small number of cast, the simultaneous movements of dancers on the stage are very intensive and intricate. numerous illusions take place simultaneously on the stage too…

mise en scene that distracts us, the audience, was especially designed to achieve these illusions. thus, it is quite difficult to follow, understand and interpret what’s going on the stage. even so, one thing is clear that they create such an atmosphere that it is impossible to remain unimpressed.




credits
what and whom am i talking about?
i am talking about the dance evening consisting of one work of two choreographer-dancers gabriela carrizo and franck chartier, the founders of belgian dance theater company “peeping tom”, whom i admire very much, prepared for netherlands dance theater (ndt1), one of the most prestigious dance groups of holland- and even of- the world.

first gabriela carrizo produces a 20-minute work for ndt in 2013 called “the missing door”, which had been staged in a triple program during 2013-14 season.
this time, ndt agrees with franck chartier for 2015-16 season. a program titled “start up” was prepared by matching chartier’s “the lost room” and carrizo’s work with “stop motion” of paul lightfoot and sol leon, general directors of ndt, which made a premier in 2014.
“start again” made a premiere on 1st october 2015 in den haag and had been on tour in several theaters of holland and belgium. i have caught it in amsterdam stadschouwburg performances in mid-november.



transition
in recent years, ndt organizes programs consisting of three short-term works; the rule of thumb is to give a break between each work. occasionally, if one of the works in the program is very short and stage-change isn’t complicated, they don’t give a break. by dimming the lights, they allow the audience to take a breath. carrizo and chartier’s works were subjected to a different procedure; they were connected to each other without giving a break with the most creative transition stage i have ever watched.

both works are set in a room, which, although look like each other in terms of their dimensions, differ in terms of wall and flooring materials and furniture. after carrizo’s work was completed the curtain falls, however it quickly opens again…
when it is open, we see that the dancers begin to change the stage. as a spotlight which sweeps the stage like a loose cannon falls on dancers, that dancer stops and salutes the audience and gets applauded. after the salutation of seven dancers which overlap with the light, the procedure of changing the scene continues.
stage-change in front of the audience, without concealment and technicians appearing during the performance are especially ordinary in pina bausch. this, in one sense, is one of her trademarks. however, the difference in carrizo and chartier’s mise en scene was that the décor was changed by the dancers in their costumes rather than the stage personnel. those who roll the carpet that complement the floor of the previous work and unravel the carpet of the next work, who remove the walls of the previous work and carry them backstage and install the walls for the next one, those who carry stage accessories and furniture to the stage are the dancers.

another oddity is that chartier’s work doesn’t start immediately after the décor is installed. in the new décor which looks like a hotel room, a housekeeper and a woman who is dressed up as a personnel manager checks the stage design. when the manager leaves the stage, the housekeeper takes out a drink from the fridge, picks a magazine from the table, sits on the bed and starts to enjoy herself. when the manager suddenly comes back to the room, the housekeeper hastily pulls herself together, checks the rooms once more, neatens the bed on which she sat and leaves the stage. just at that time the lights are dimmed, we hear the music which started the first work (that of carrizo’s) again. light percolates from the peeping hole of one of the doors like blinking. when stage lights are turned on again we understand that the new work actually starts when the door is opened and one of the protagonists enter inside.

by using the dancers as the protagonists, supporting individuals and stage technicians, by dividing the stage into two: the part with the décor and the part outside of it and by designing this transition mise en scene with a perfectly prepared choreography, carrizo and chartier astound, as the phrase goes, they perplex the audience in this indecisive world where they invite the audience.



challenge
the cast of the works that gabriela carrizo and franck chartier stage with their group “peeping tom” involves approximately six or seven people and not all of these artists are dancers. there are actors/actresses and singers among them.
another characteristic of this group is that there is no age limit for the performers, which include the ones at the age of 80 and the ones who are very young.
the dancers of peeping tom hold a very special place among dance groups in terms of the use of human body. the movements developed by carrizo and chartier, who are dancers as well, through their personal capabilities has no boundaries in terms of the shapes the body takes like complete convulsion, inversion of the body; twisting the arms and bewildering angles of feet especially through the tricks with wrists…

on the other hand, netherlands dance theater which is composed of young dancers thoroughly concentrated on neoclassical dance within the framework of the vision of paul lightfoot who has been the in-house choreographer of the group since 2002 and the general arts director of the group since 2011.
i believe that, for peeping tom, performing the eccentric body choreography which is specific to them with the dancers who mainly dance with neoclassical choreographies and, working with a more crowded and younger cast contrary to what they are accustomed to; and for ndt, offering works of a very different quality to their dancers and -more importantly- to the audience who are used to neoclassical works is a reciprocal defiance, of which, i think they come out smelling of roses.

while watching “the missing door” and “the lost room”, a world which even though i did not easily encounter on stage absorbed me for 70 minutes; i spent time there, i got lost, i got shivers and i was astounded.
when the work was over, i didn’t even want to get out of the seat feeling awestruck. madly applauses and reaction of the audience who sunk in their seats showed that i wasn’t the only one feeling that way…
 “start again” has completed its performances in 2015-2016 season. we’ll see if it will get invitations for international tours in coming seasons; i hope it does.

6 Haziran 2016 Pazartesi

"32 rue vandenbranden" by peeping tom



“peeping tom” is a group located in belgium, in which an argentinian and a french choreographer, gabriela carrizo and franck chartier collectively produce works. carrizo and chartier met while they were working for the famous belgian choreographer and orthopedic therapist alain platel. they gained recognition in europe especially with the triology consisting of le jardin (2001) – le salon (2004) – le sous sol (2007).

in addition to rewards they received with the trilogy, they continued to receive rewards successively and furthermore indulge into new collaborations. their last work “vader” received the best international dance work award of 2014 in barcelona, while their previous work “32 rue vandenbranden” received the best new dance work award in 2015 olivier awards. in may 2015 they produced a work named “the land” with the players of munich residenztheater which is one of the prestigious theater companies of germany. “the missing door” which was staged by carrizo in 2013 under the umbrella of ndt 1 which is one of the most important dance groups not only of holland but also of the world and, the new work of chartier which staged with the same dancers were included in the program of 2015-16 season of ndt1 to be performed successively the same night.

“peeping tom” must have been named after michael powell’s 1960 famous cult film which is about tension, murder and mostly peeping must have inspired carrizo and chartier in creating spooky mediums. of course being -in a sense-“peeped” by the audience is one of the most important tools affecting the mise en scene of the group. if one has to talk about cinema, setting aside powell’s film in “peeping tom”s works, there is in fact a significant influence of david lynch.

although i couldn’t watch the triology which brought them recognition, i am trying to catch their following works. i had the change to watch “a louer” in ludwigshafen germany in november 2013 and “32 rue vandenbranden” in leuven belgium in february last year.

in “32 rue vandenbranden”, carrizo and chartier continue to create disturbed characters who come to life in spooky atmospheres, to deal with hidden oddities in places which look real and to handle prodigiousness sometimes by emphasizing it or analyzing it in depth and to surprise and entertain the audience with situations, emotions and materials which are hard to come together.
confusion starts with the name of the work, it stands like an address in a settlement: “32 rue vandenbranden”: a street name and a house number.
before entering the hall, one thinks that the work can be set in a city, village or a town; but when you enter and see the design in the open stage, you experience your first shock:
an outdoor space covered with snow scattered to the first row of spectator seats; open as far as the eye can see, imperceptible mountain peaks in background, no tree; one caravan in each side; two red oblation candles in the back in the middle… as if you are on the top of a mountain.  a silent, desolate place; so what is this address then?

photo: herman sorgeloos

when the lights are dimmed we first hear the blow of the wind, then church bells, so there must be a town nearby… the lights of the caravans are on, movement starts. a long-haired, old woman is sitting in one of them… a pregnant  not-so-young women coming out of the caravan first sooths the baby with the head of an adult who is crying under -yes under- the caravan then pushes it back to the snow, under the caravan… a young couple is getting off the caravan; it seems that the woman wants to leave the man but she cannot; they entangle to each other, hit each other and then cuddle each other. they are the two halves of a part but they cannot fit together…
after a time, two man come behind the caravans from the side. one of them is on the back of the other and they are carrying luggage in their hands. it is clear that they had walked for a long time and freezing from cold… they are slant-eyed; they are surely strangers. well but what brought them here at the top of the mountain in this freezing cold? coincidence? bad luck? or is this the place they actually wanted to reach?

a young married couple; a not-so-young pregnant woman and her mother? (maybe her sister); two asians, two caravans and two oblation candles…



photo: herman sorgeloos


who is dead, who is alive, who is a djinn… who is good, who is evil… are the events expressed in a linear line or in zig zags… are they real, a dream or a nightmare… what kind of relationships are there between the protagonists? who is related to who… are we in this world or in after death… why are the protagonists this much weird and disturbed?
those who disappear and show up behind the doors… those who curl up their bodies like an elastic ghost that came out from cartoons… those who bend their arms, hands, feet and limbs… those who “float” in the air in a superhuman way… those who can be here and there at the same time; who turn into a bird and get aggressive and then suddenly turn into a human…





a selection of music which includes a woman who performs bellini’s casta diva and pink floyd’s “shine on you crazy diamond” alive at the same level of mastery; a far-eastern folk song and far-eastern pop song and which is not found odd…

in the brochure it says that the play was inspired by shohei imamura’s well-known 1983 film “the ballad of naramaya” film. however, thinking that i have seen that film, this play is related to that film only as a starting point. a story which doesn’t reveal itself easily, loosely woven with lots of emptiness…
perhaps there isn’t a clear-cut story; there are fragments that allow the audience to make up their own stories. and of course there is a great atmosphere… a dark atmosphere which doesn’t lack jokes and irony, which however has an intensive spookiness, uneasiness, loneliness and sadness…


peeping tom deserves to be followed…