Bitef

nom kostimu, koji je za ruku bio obešen o tavanicu veé neko vreme, delio je poljupce public!. Ja verujem u ljubaznost, u nežnost u pozorištu. To su univerzalne vrednosti. Ljubav je, s druge strane, predstavlja tananije putanje. Da bih ovo ilustrovao: u toku jedne od naših predstava, jedan član naše trupe je pevao a drugi igrao; ja i još neki glumci stavili smo naše glave u kriia nekih žena u publici. Jedna žena je počela da me miluje po kosi, a da ni sama nije bila toga svesna. Mene je ovaj gest duboko uzbudio, a siguran sam da je i nju. Knapp: Zbog čega u vašem pozorištu koristite vatru i vodu? Savary: Mi obožavamo elemente i po tome se razlikujemo od drugih pozorišta. Upotrebljavamo i ventilatore od kojih se publici razbaruši kosa. U jednoj predstavi smo napravili vodenu zavesu. Drugom prilikom, vrata pozorišta su se najednom otvorila i oublika je čula kako pada kiša. Bili su übedeni da napoiju pljušti. Malo kasnije neko je ušao u pozorište i skinuo mantii, jer je bio übeden da je mokar. U ’Meduzinom splavu’ čitava predstava odvijala se na vodi. Naš komad je bio baziran na stravičnom dogadaju iz 1816. godine kada je fregata 'Meduza’ potonula zajedno sa četiri stotine članova posade. Jedan splav je bio napravIjen na brzinu. Međutim, na njega je moglo da stane svega sto i pedeset Ijudi. Patnje na torn splavu su bile prosto neverovatne. Hrane i vode je nestalo i na kraju su Ijudi počeli da jedu leševe. Naša podela se sastojala od četrdeset i pet muškaraca I petnaest žena; svima su na glavi bile alge, a imitirali su zvuke talasa i vetra tokom cele predstave. Ja sam stajao na balkonu i rukovodio predstavom na udaraljkama kao neki dirigent i tako održavao ritmičke i tonske kvalitete predstave i stvarao krešenda onako kako sam smatrao da je potrebno. Ribarska mreža je visila sa vrha balkona sve do kraja pozornice. Publika je mogla da vidi glumce samo kroz mrežu; oni su sedeli ispod nje i morali su da gledaju nagore. Glumci su bili na malom splavu. Kada su brodolomnici poöeli da jednu jedno drugo kakva užasna priča! glumci su onako krvavi počeli da padaju u mrežu. Publika je, naravno, imala utisak da tela padaju na njih. Možete zamisliti njihove reakcije. Na kraju predstave cela mreža je bila puna leševa i tako potpuno skoro zaklanjala vidik gledalaca I stvarala gotovo potpunl mrak u giedalištu. Knapp; Da li vaše pozorište nazivate slmboličnlm? Savary: Sve ono što potiče Iz nesvesnog Je simbolično. Oni koji ne reaguju emotivno na naše igre su hladni i sračunati Ijudi svakako umotani u nekakav intelektualni okvir. Oni ne znaju da uživaju u životu.

zartan (jérôme savaryJ

Zartan, sporting his leopard skin, stars in this marvelous story of colonialism from the Middle Ages to the present. The production, though full of atrocities, employs fairy-tale techniques: tricks, magic, the

simple dialogue of a chilidren’s story. Ropes, pulleys, and tunnels allow continual movement of men and mateilas; fireworks, smoke, and artificial fog provide a permanent atmosphere of war and battle, interspersed with touching little love scenes and a charming aquatic ballet in an inflatable svimming pool. The drawing represents three small hills connected by tunnels or ditches. The hill on the left is Zartan's Domain: here, in the shadow of an odd Statute of Liberty, Zartan wages war against evenyone else. The hill in the center is occupied by the Silent Majority (the spectators) : a cloud occasionally rains on them (umbrellas are provided) but their situation, though precarious, permits them to watch with pleasurable emotion the surrounding cataclysm. (Next to this hill a businessman, indifferent to the noise around him, calmly sells hot dogs and root beer to the enchanted audience.) The hill on the right is a peaceful, idyllic corner anywhere in the world: here actors sing and dance, make love, and grow cabbages. Zartan tries unsuccessfully to exterminate this last group, but each time he blows up a palm tree, another one blooms in its place: each time he stabs a woman, a baby is born. The show ends with Zartan’s invasion of Cambodia-or the country most recently invaded-in a magnificent emotion, -packed scene certain to bring tears to your eyes (don't forget your handkerchiefs). We always encourage much participation by the spectators, through the use of dance, games, raffles, musical instruments, fireworks (In our Christmas tableau vivant the spectators illuminate a baby with ’magic sparklers,' thus transforming themselves into Magi, shepherds, etc.) In Zartan, the audience participation is unique. The spectators, in their customary passivity and in their geographical placement between the two poles of action, incarnate-and oh how actively-the role of the ’silent majority.’ Most ’active' in their passivity are those seated on the hill at center: each spectator must witness the horrible massacre surrounding him, without moving (unies, of course, a tunnel should be dug under his chair, causing him to fall into the hole-and there is always the possibility of a stray bullet...). Other spectators are standing and can play ’war correspondent’ in the battlefield. They may even, if they wish, take sides. The actors do, in fact, need people to help reconstruct the palm tree Zartan destroys, and Zartan needs help in operating the enormous bazooka he uses to destroy this same palm tree. Other opportunities arise, and it is not impossible that the spectacle end in mas confrontation, with a barrage of bananas. off - off (dick brukenfeid)

With reverence toward none, including themselves, Jerome Savary and his 'Grand Magic Circus, Zartan, son of Tarzan' company give top billing to a baby and a chicken. It’s no joke, because these two, particularly Bantam Poucelle. the shapely white chick.

are adept scene-stealers. Miss Poucelle, in fact, occupies center stage most of the evening while the other players in this Parisian company dash off in every direction. Sometimes she opens her mouth to caw out authentic jungle effects; sometimes she shows great pluck dodging the feet of giants ten times her size; always with impeccable integrity she is herself, completely there, a definite Obie candidate. The adults perform with equal skill. Their show, which combines elements of music hall, circus, and revue, takes us on globegirdling adventures that go everywhere and nowhere. A parade of seemingly related yet actually disconnected incidents, 'Zartan' resembles some of John v accaro’s recent work. As they circle the world, the company burlesques such targets as British pomposity, the French Foreign Legion, Spanish dances, American college songs, opera, and audience participation. Despite its wildness, however, ’Zartan’ doesn’t push things to their logical or illogical extremes. Thus, it provides a pleasing, often delightful evening, while never breaking through to release geysers of liberating laughter.

’zartan’... par le grand magic circus (colette godard)

Le 'Grand Magic Circus, et ses animaux tristes’, mène par Jérôme Savary raconte tous les soirs à la Galerié du Théâtre de la cité internationale I’histoire de Zartan, le frère mal aimé de Tarzan, chroniques coloniales sur fond de palmiers verts et de mer bleue avec brune artificielle et monstre marin; comment le célèbre explorateur M. Lee et sa femme partirent en Amazonie, comment ils moururent, comment leur bébé Zartan fut élevé par les singes, comment l'arrivée de Louise de Paris troubla la simplicité de sa vie; comment, à la poursuite de Louise, il arriva en Afrique, puis à Broadway ... Les ’animaux tristes’ se déguisent en singes, en tigres, en ancien légionnaire devenu pacha, en hétaïres, en reine d’Angleterre. Cette histoire délirante est racontée avec la simplicité tranguille des vrais feuilletons en bandes dessinées, sans aucun rapport avec les luxérueux albums vendus très cher en librairie. De tous les metteurs en scène fascinés par le monde du cirque, Jérôme Savary, est peut-être le seul a avoir saisi, telle qu’elle est, la poésie naïve des gens du voyage, sans la sublimer ni la théâtraliser (comme peuvent le faire Patrice Chereau ou Ariane Mnouchkine). Les Chroniques coloniales ne sont pas une transposition esthétique du cirque, mais le cirque même. Sans mélancolie, avec une santé et une joie qui éclate à chaque instant, Jérôme Savary détruit bien des conventions. 7