horror vacui

HORROR VACUI

BODY THEATRE FOR ACROBATS, ACTORS AND DANCERS
WORK-IN-PROGRESS PRODUCTIONS:
ANDERSEN FESTIVAL 23TH-25TH OF MAY 2008
PALMARIA FESTIVAL 18TH-20TH OF JULY 2008 ARIA FESTIVAL
LA SPEZIA 13TH-14TH OF SEPTEMBER 2008

DIRECTED BYMICHELA LUCENTI AND LEONARDO PISCHEDDA

WITH BALLETTO CIVILE (MICHELA LUCENTI EMANUELE BRAGA MAURIZIO CAMILLI AMBRA CHIARELLO EMANUELA SERRA YURI GALLIGARI) ANTONIO CESCHIA CIE LIBERTIVORE (JULES BECKMAN FANNY SORIANO) CIE DU SISYPHE (ANTOINE RAIMONDI-CHAUVOT COLLINE CAEN ) DANIEL GULKO PETER WEYEL GIOVANNA BOLZAN STEPHINE ODIAMBO WERE CLIMBING TECHNICIAN PIERROT GUILLAUMIN LIGHTING DESIGN GIAN LUCA SELIS

THE HORROR VACUI PROJECT STARTED IN 2008 AS AN EXPERIMENT. THE CHALLENGE WAS TO PUT TOGETHER A GROUP OF INTERNATIONAL PERFORMERS, FROM DIFFERENT ARTISTIC BACKGROUNDS AND COUNTRIES, AND TO LET THEM WORK TOGETHER ON A THEATRICAL PROJECT THE SCOPE OF WHICH GOES BEYOND THE EVENT ITSELF.

THE ARTISTS OFTEN MET TOGETHER, EVEN IF THE ENTIRE TROUPE WAS NOT ALWAYS PRESENT, FOR WORKSHOP SESSIONS AND REHEARSALS WHICH SOMETIMES RESULTED IN PARTIAL OR EXPERIMENTAL PRESENTATIONS OF PARTS OF THE SHOW. THESE PRESENTATIONS, WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE FOR DEMONSTRATIVE PURPOSES, ENDED UP BECOMING COMPLETE PERFORMANCES IN THEMSELVES AND IN THE TWO FESTIVALS AT PALMARIA AND ARIA LA SPEZIA WERE PRESENTED AND ACCLAIMED BY LARGE AUDIENCES AS SUCH.

THE FIRST TEXT APPROACHED IN THIS EXPERIMENTAL WAY WAS MOLIÈRE’S DON JUAN. THIS IS A COMPLEX PLAY AND IS VERY LOOSELY DEFINED IN TERMS OF DRAMATURGY, WHICH, TOGETHER WITH ITS THEME AND CHARACTERS, SUITED THE PROJECT PERFECTLY. PARTICULARLY APT IS THE MAIN CHARACTER WHO PRESENTS AN ABSOLUTE ARCHETYPE OF SELF DESTRUCTIVENESS BUT ALSO REPRESENTS COLLECTIVE AND SOCIAL DESTRUCTION.

IN PRACTICE, THE RESULT IS A SPECTACULAR SHOW WHERE THE DRAMA AND THE ACTION OF THE PLAY COMBINE WITH THE NEEDY ENERGY OF THE PERFORMERS TO FIRE AN ENGINE WHICH DRIVES DANCE, MUSIC, ACTING, SINGING, ACROBATICS AND IMPROVISATION INTO ONE ENERGETIC ENSEMBLE. THE SHOW WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AND INTENDED FOR UNCONVENTIONAL VENUES, QUITE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER, WHICH IN THEIR TURN CHANGE THE VERY NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCES. THESE VENUES WERE A BEACH (IN ITS VERY PRELIMINARY STAGE), A CLIFF TOP FORTRESS BY THE SEA AND AN OLD ENGINE SHED (WITH TRAINS MOVING DURING THE PERFORMANCE).

IN THE LAST TWO PRODUCTIONS, THE SHOW HAS GROWN TO ENTIRELY OCCUPY VERY VAST SPACES, THE AUDIENCE MOVING WITHIN THE SET.