The performance entitled “Basic Needs” is a non-verbal theatre séance, joining the poetic of black theatre of dreams, style of radical theatre of body and emotion, as well as elements of a dance theatre. In the show can find references to European painting and symbolic literature and also movies: “American Beauty” by Sam Mendes and “Talk to Her” by Pedro Almodovar.
The performance was presented in Poland as well as in Montenegro, Egypt, Germany and Slovakia.
“In purgatory – in coma – in suspension – on the border of existence and non-existence – among – nowhere. In space equally distant from the day and the night, life and death, heaven and hell. Without good and evil, beauty and ugliness, love and hatred. Where “yes”, “no” and “I do not know” means the same. On a border that doesn’t exist. In blind and mute impotence, where moment means eons. In loneliness, which equally hurts and does not hurt. It is space of this performance. It is where the heroine of the tale lives, against her will. And in this space the basic human needs will be discovered again.”
Marcin Herich
script and direction: Marcin Herich
acting: Aleksandra Janus (Marta Kadłub), Joanna Pyrcz, Monika Wachowicz, Maciej Dziaczko
light design: Maciej Dziaczko, Marcin Herich
stage moving: Marcin Herich in co-operation with Monika Wachowicz
music:
fragments of works of Merzbow, Toska, The Future Sound of London, c.h. district, A.Iglesias, H. Purcell, A.Rishaug and P.Szczepanik
music design: Mirosław Matyasik
text: travesty of fragments of text from “American Beauty” by Sam Mendes (interpretation by Marcin Herich)
first night performance: chorzów, Poland, 2006
duration of the performance: 65 minutes
PRESENTATIONS
*Teatr Rozrywki (Chorzów, Poland, first night performance, 2006)
*Teatr Rozrywki (Chorzów, Poland, International Theatre Festival A PART, 2006)
*Centre of Culture and Art of Mazovia (Warsaw, Poland, 2006)
*Teatr Ósmego Dnia (Poznań, Poland, 2007)
*The Library of Alexandria (Alexandria, Egypt, Creative Forum, 2007)
*Community Centre (Kolarovo, Slovakia, Art Festival Meteorit, 2007)
*Kulturzentrum E-werk (Erlangen, Germany, Theatre Festival Arena, 2007)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, 2008)
*Teatr Mały (Tychy, Poland, 2008)
*KIC Budo Tomovic (Podgorica, Montenegro. Festival Alternativnog Teatra FIAT, 2008)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, International Theatre Festival A PART, 2008)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, 2008)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, 2009)
*Societatheater (Dresden, Germany, szene: Polen, 2010)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, 2010)
*Teatr Korez (Katowice, Poland, Teatr A PART Festival, 2011)
CRITICS
“Basic Needs”, Teatr A Part performance is intense and expressive. Fascinating and alarming, lasts in a memory for long. Great respect to Maciej Dziaczko and Marcin Herich, who created scenes supported by excellent music and effort of three actress, emerging together or separately from darkness, to attract spectators. Passages between light and darkness are so smooth, as they were painted by Rembrandt. Important role in this dance performance play plastic bags. One time they are taken out from a mouth, another one pulled on a head and another time wrapped around an ankle. Although there is a lot of nudity in the performance, it is suddenly covered or cut short. Images of body remain in spectators head, leaving a space for imagination. It is never pornographic. Manners of exhibition of naked body uncover its beauty and sensitivity or link to convention of burlesque. They are stretched between sensuality and horror. Like in an image of two women emerging from the darkness in a snow-white dresses – as they were sleeping. Women start to tussle nervously, shake, more and more desperate. Faster and faster. And suddenly pain wears off and we can see naked actresses legs. On a snow-white skin fall down blood.
DNN [Dresden, Germany]
Venture where “angels” fear to tread. Semi-nude show which delved deep into the lives of women, projecting their inner, subconscious fears, biological traumas, and sexual fantasies in a lurid, quasi sadistic vein, together with the tension of living up to media-popularized male expectations.
Nehad Seleiha, Al-Ahram Weekly [Alexandria, Egipt]
What strikes in this performance is a beauty of light and perfect choreography. Although the stage isn’t loaded with props, it is not a theatre that can be watched inattentively. Here in every moment something important happens, and temporary pensive spectator may got lost and loose opportunity to see something intriguing on stage. It is definitely clear that Marcin Herich knowingly uses naked body as an important element of the performance. The light plays on body, as in a scene, when one of the characters moves a shadow of his hands along a laying woman’s leg, which scene bewitches not only due to its evanescence, but also an interesting reference to the stylistics of. horror. In any case it’s not the only reference of this type – very often the music and its such characteristic uprising tones instantly bring appropriate associations. And here goes another very interesting trick originating from horrors – an effect of sudden translocation of the character caused by a supernatural forces, read – by means of fading lights needed to change locations. The tricks used in “Simply needs” delights. They are unusually eye-catching or – for a change – almost unseen, but they built the performances attractiveness and represent original symbolic, so much different from threadbare, stereotype applications. But not only particular stage design elements got symbolic dimension, entire scenes are loaded in hidden meanings, like, for instance, first minutes of the performance, when we see a banishment from Paradise: a muddle of driving out is created by a rotating mirror ball, and getting involved in civilization customs is represented by putting on shoes. This two elements solely compose whole series of similar, non literal pictures. What are our human basic needs? We can see them in our dreams, we follow the love, happiness, joy of parenthood, a piece of fun. A dumb heroine tear by emotions, desires, finds herself in an undefined space. Her lot (or maybe just dreams?) interweaves with a biblical mankind origin, at the same time giving a universal meaning to her longings.
Inga Niedzielska, Teatralia [Katowice, Poland]
Photos: Daniel Koch
open gallery
