Bitef

137

THE TRUTH ABOUT THEATRE

Truth is a notion which the humanity has been addressing through its philosophers ever since they first appeared. The philosophers have not found the solution for this simple word nor will they ever find it. Philosophy only asks fundamental questions and offers solutions characteristic of a particular age and at times its great thinkers even determine the fate of the world. Art also addresses the so-called truth. This applies in particular to the theatre which is in part made of the same stuff as the reality: man of flesh and blood. And everything else that is man. One of possible relations between theatre and truth is the exploration of the social reality of our days, yesterday, today and tomorrow, with theatrical means. On this occasion Bitef proposes the paradigm Truth in Theatre as the subject of its special programme organised for the first time, with two examples of the exploration of true events with theatrical means. It will be an opportunity for our and foreign artists and thinkers around the 42 Bitef 08 to give thought to this topic. We thought up the subject by drawing on a production by South African artists and an American director entitled Truth in Translation after the film Lost in Translation and decided to call our special programme Truth in Theatre. Jovan Cirilov and Anja Susa May 2008

SPECIAL PROGRAMME