Theatre Development Fund – TDF: In Burning Doors, the latest politically charged play from Belarus Free Theatre about state-sponsored brutality, the cast reenacts violence with such acrobatic intensity that spectators might fret about the performers' well-being. Natalia Kaliada certainly hopes so. "If you worry about what happens to them on stage, then you can imagine what happened to them in reality, which is much worse," says Kaliada, co-director of Burning Doors, which runs at La MaMa October 12-23. "That's what we want to share with the audience."
3 comments:
This article reminds me of the play 9 Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks. I am a huge supporter of plays being used as a lens to look at the world at large. I am glad to see that this kind of thing is happening more and more, or at least it is getting more publicity than before. I am in awe of the bravery of these directors, who were driven from their home country by a oppressive regime. It always blows my mind that there still are places where people will be arrested just for speaking their mind. The description of what they do as “a campaign for human rights” is spot on. I hope that someday soon their art can exist without the fear of being arrested or maybe even killed for what they do.
This type of theatre is incredibly inspiring, a big part of pushing the boundaries is running the risks and this is definitely an example of a risk that has been effective. We're lucky that the United States is a place where works that defy the government are highly prevalent and often times acclaimed in great honor for breaking boundaries. This article in particular is about theatre that is performed in underground venues in a really messed up Russia, and I think its great to see people that are able to take a stand towards oppression and do it anyways, knowing well enough that their art could land them in jail or even worse. Theatre-makers like these are modern day Bertolt Brecht's, people that refused to let the confinements of their oppressive governments dictate their work, and its that kind of intuition that goes down in history. I also find it particularly amazing that in their pieces they display prison and entrapment as an abstract concept rather than displaying the action itself. I find it educational to see how delicately these topics are handled and I hope to someday work on a show with this much of a risk factor.
Sometimes I forget about how lucky we truly are in America to be able to speak freely, create controversial art, and push boundaries without the risk of jail time or our lives. This type of theatre is truly inspiring in the way it dares to be seen, begs to be heard. The work that the Belarus Free Theatre is doing is motivational to not only those who are being oppressed in the country but also those who are fighting for different types of equality and freedom across the world. The topics they cover in Burning Doors are covered with such power but also such intimacy by making audience members be almost concerned for the safety of the actors. “‘If you worry about what happens to them on stage, then you can imagine what happened to them in reality, which is much worse,’ says Kaliada" truly incapsulates what the theatre company is going for in exposing people to the brutal truth that is asking to be showcased. I am truly in awe of the work this theatre is doing and I can only hope that they will be able to continue pushing boundaries and making their voices heard.
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