Bitef

THIS IS THEATRE, ТОО

It is in art's nature to always seek a new expression. As an art which exists only if it is experienced, seen, followed, accepted and denied, theatre is exceptionally prone to never-ending changes. Even so, it is not easy to giean which change in thè theatre - whether abrupt and noisy or quiet and barely visible - deserves to be called art. j ‘¿л In theatre it is not just a change of form within a w theatrical style but also thè replacement of thè ba- ' sic means of expression and even a radicai change of thè perspective from which a theatrical act is viewed. In thè Century we bave just stepped in and which is also a new millennium, thè theatre uses new technologies boldly, without even bothering whether such a theatre will be accepted. On thè other hand, some artists willingly relinquish many earlier theatrical devices and reduce thè stage to a well-nigh barely visible minimum. After thè explosive Nineties and thè use of kitsch and televisión aesthetic in thè theatre, after thè explicit social and politicai engagement of thè theatre artists, a new age seems to be coming in which thè theatre does not shout but, one might say, whispers, abandons thè conspicuous pop culture's matrix and is atomized, going back again to its essential and everlasting elements: actors in an empty space. Once again, this is perhaps thè time of thè re-examination of thè theatre and through theatre and a quest for some new valúes and language in a world oversaturated with all kinds of sensations. In comparison with breathtaking televisión scenes it seems that

thè modern theatre has suddenly slowed down, that it unfolds in a kind of counter-rhythm as against thè reality on a rampage which it cannot or would not keep pace with. Instead of bringing onto thè stage thè reality which surpasses itself day in day out thè theatre is beginning to create its own parallel reality. Just as we thought that had seen it and expedid enced it all. * The selection duo chose for thè 41 st Bitef highly diverse forms of scenic expression: examples of ~p~y/ extremely new modern dance in its spectacular and minimalist forms, non-verbal theatre of scenes, (post)modernist reconstruction of thè avant-garde of thè Sixties, thè tragicomic eloquence of thè age-old dirge, "new circus" with philosophical pretensions, fake realism, Shakespeare as a bloody rebel as well as thè total negation of thè theatre we've known for ages, with bodies which play thè part of actors on one side of thè ramp, and bodies which play thè part of spectators on its other side; this time, it is "man to man" game. All this is theatre... This Bitef will undoubtedly show that theatre is also - theatre. Which productions or which elements of productions will show it, we shall know at thè end of Bitef. Or only in a year or two. Jovan Cirilov and Anja Susa June 2007