ACREEDORES

Description

On May 29th, we went to see a performance proposal of August Strindberg's play "Acreedores".

It was really interesting to see on stage the work of one of the playwrights we have studied in German Expressionism, and I say it was a performance proposal, because I believe the play was written as a more...realistic play, but the way it was performed wasn't realistic at all. It clearly showed how a direction concept can transform a play and create an innovative experience for the audience.

Analysis

The concept and the vision were clear. The director and actors wanted us to focus on the use of the voice -and sensuality evoked by this- of the actors, rather than focusing on a complex set design or big body movements. It was interesting, and a clear example for a practical performance proposal, but...why did we all fall asleep? Would that make it a "unsuccessful" play?

I believe it wasn't, first of all, because it was an innovative/creative experience for me as a member of the audience. I felt attracted by the proposal at first, and by the effects that just the voice of the actor (if explored and developed) is able to create. The voice can change an entire mood, an entire scene. However, I believe the action started to become repetitive, and instead of creating new moods, the 'sensual' mood was kept...which, with the dark stage and distance of the audience...made us fall asleep. I say distance, because I  assume that if the distance between the actors and the audience was closer, more intimacy would be created and maybe more concentration from us. There was an intimate 'atmosphere', but I believe it existed mainly between the actors and not between us and them, or maybe it was 'broken' after some time. Maybe the play was too long for having that direction concept, and maybe it would've been a much more enjoyable experience if it lasted around 20 minutes. Why? because the audience also gets tired, especially if watching the same actions, with the same lighting and set design ALL THE TIME.

Connections

ROMPER LA PIEL: a written play is something completely different from the staged play. One of the roles of the director is to adapt the play in a process where it may be cut..it may be changed... mainly according to the direction concept. In Romper la piel, the text was completely different from what happened on stage. Everything on stage denoted oppression and overwhelming for the main character, and there were many changes even in the script when it was said by the actors. Theatre is therefore a process, and a play changes "in the making" and does not only rely on the written text.

This idea of the direction concept also reminded me to an extent about PROYECCION PRIVADA and LA FALSA CRIADA: the idea of having a concept is that there should be a coherence in the play, and these two were plays where we couldn't find it. Things were put on stage 'because they looked nice'. In Acreedores, at least, I believe the concept was followed as the actors focused all the time in their voices. Maybe it didn't look 'nice' after a while but there was coherence in the way things were happening.
ROMPER LA PIEL also showed us that the final concept can be created during the process. The new concept that came out "did not cancel the previous one, but was the next step towards the way in which it was expressed on stage"'- Rob :)

Reflection

The purpose of a direction concept is creating coherence in a play. Different concepts will be able to create completely different approaches to connect with the audience, and different proposals to put on stage the written play. Oriented by this concept, the text will not be equal to the final product, as it is what HAPPENS on stage what transforms completely the audience's experience. The fact that we fell asleep does not mean that the  play was "wrong". It followed a concept, which gave it coherence, but maybe lacked that intimacy wanted WITH the audience. Moreover, the play was extreeeeeemely long for that proposal. Would more changes in the lighting and in the 'mood' have made the play more dynamic for us? I would like to see if how the play works in a stage such as the one used in "HEBRAS" or in the scenes between Dysart and Alan in my PPP. Does an introverted acting style require a smaller space?