Bitef

festivala „novih pozorišnih tendencija", podvukii crtu i potvrdili raznovrsnost formi u savremenim izvodačkim umetnostima, što u našoj sredini još uvek nije podrazumevajuće: dramsko pozorište, savremeni ples, dokumentarno pozorište. predstave-predavanja itd. Ove godine če se, kao što smo prošle i najavili, estetski fokus izoštriti. Da bi se dotični estetski fenomen adekvatno mapirao i kontekstualizovao, i ove godine če biti organizovana teorijska debata, s torn razlikom što če u njoj, pored nekih od vodečih svetskih teatrologa (Marija Ševcova, Žorž Bani itd.), ovog puta učestvovati i umetnici. U estetskem pogledu, 51. Bitef markira jednu od značajnih tendencija u savremenim izvodačkim umetnostima: predstave dugog trajanja („durational performances"). Pored Fabrovog scenskog spektakla, ovaj fenomen oličava i predstava Quizoola! poznate engleske trupe Forsd Entertainment, koja če biti izvedena u Danu prologa, neposredno pre projekta Olimp, kojim če 51. Bitef biti svečano otvoren. Reč je o predstavi koja ima i svoju verziju od 24 sata, ali je umetničko-produkcijski tim Bitefa iskoristio mogučnost da se predstava igra u originalnoj verziji od „svega" šest sati (odluka je doneta zbog toga što smo procenili da bi, bez obzira na umetničku i koncepcijsku opravdanost, bilo isuviše radikalno i zahtevno da se publici ponude čak dve predstave koje traju ceo dan). Predstava je koncipirana, kao što i njen naziv sugeriše, kao jedno beskonačno kviz-takmičenje (asocijacija na film / konje übljaju, zar ne?) u kojem se nižu krače scene sa po dvoje glumača, koji se smenjuju i rotiraju, a u scenama se tumače izvučeni pojmovi. Izuzetna veština improvizacije engleskih glumača, u kombinaciji s izborom samih pojmova, čini predstavu vrlo duhovitom, ali i politički krajnje osveščenem i zaoštrenom. Stavili smo je na program za Dan prologa iz dva razloga: kao posvetu ovoj britanskoj trupi, koja se medu prvima bavila izvodačkom formom koju nazivamo „durational performances", ali i zbog toga što je ona, pre petnaest godina, več gostovala u Srbiji, doduše ne na Bitefu. Mogli smo da se opredelimo i za neku drugu, noviju „durational performance" ove iste trupe, ali smo namerno izabrali ovu da bismo naglasili još jedan specifičan aspekt vremena u teatru: dugo trajanje ne samo jednog izvodenja (24 sata) več dugi opstanak iste predstave na repertoaru (nekoliko decenija). Važno

can nowadays be regarded, if not "new”, then surely still radical, provocative, emancipating and political, in the broadest possible sense. Last year, we stayed true to the great anniversary celebrated by this festival of “new theatre trends" by drawing the line and confirming the variety of forms in the contemporary performing arts, which in the local context is still not self-evident: drama theatre, contemporary dance, documentary theatre, lecture-performances, etc. This year, as announced back then, the aesthetic focus sharpens. In order to adequately map and contextualize that aesthetic phenomenon, we are again organizing a theoretical debate, which this time, however, welcomes not only the world’s most eminent theatre scholars (Maria Shevtsova, Georges Banu) but artists as well. Aesthetically, the 51 st Bitef marks an important tendency in contemporary performing arts: durational performances. In addition to Fabre’s stage spectacle, the phenomenon is also observed in Quizoola!, by the celebrated British company Forced Entertainment to be shown on the Prologue Day, immediately before the festival opening ceremony and Mount Olympus. It is a production which has its version that lasts 24 hours but the Bitef artistic-production team seized the opportunity offered by the company and opted for the original version lasting “only” six hours (the decision has been reached due to our realisation that regardless of the artistic and conceptual justification, it would be too radical and challenging for the audience to be offered as many as two 24-hour-long productions). As its title suggests, the production is conceived as a never-ending quiz competition (remindful of the film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?) with relatively short scenes and two alternating and switching actors who interpret words they draw out. Due to the outstanding improvisational skills of English actors, combined with the choice of words, the production is very witty yet imbued with keen political awareness and very poignant. It was scheduled for the Prologue Day for two reasons: as a tribute to this British company as one of the first to address the performing forms that came to be called durational performances and because fifteen years ago they toured Serbia although not on the occasion of Bitef. We could have chosen another, more recent “durational