Dossier Jan-fabre (1)

7/23/2019 Dossier Jan-fabre (1)

1/13

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640

www.proaartistas.mx

JAN FABRE/

TROUBLEYN
http://www.proaartistas.mx/http://www.proaartistas.mx/http://www.proaartistas.mx/


2/13


3/13


www.proaartistas.mx

THE POWER OF THEATRICAL MADNESS

Play for seven women and eight men, including an opera singer.

Duration 4 hours 20 minutes. (no pause)

Concept, texts and direction Jan Fabre

The power of theatrical madness ((De macht der theaterlijke dwaasheden): the title resembles a

solemn pose on the altar of theatre. It celebrates the former glory of theatre, with a lot of velvet, with

deep-red chairs and gilt ornaments.

The soft hum of audience members talking in the boxes, the sound of champagne glasses in stately

ballrooms, the idolization of actors and actresses who convey sentiment, the folly of the Baroquetheatre stage are echoed in the title.

In it, nineteenth-century theatre is exposed as the favourite diversion for the gentry, which submitted

to the enchanting hallucinations. The illusions that are staged are no longer theatrical; to use a

Fabrian neologism, they are theater-lijk (literally: theatre-body; meaning: theatre-like), a memorial

service in the making: the corpse of theatre lies in state on the altar that is the stage. In this mortuary,

we bid farewell to it, with an ode which sounds the praises of the deceased, while simultaneously and


4/13


www.proaartistas.mx

eternally banning it to its cellars.

The Power..., above all, is a historic performance. It is history in the making. Not only in Fabres

body of work - this production signified his definitive international breakthroughbut it also reveals

the end point, where the economy of illusion now finds itself and transcends it. As a key moment in

the history of theatrical illusion, Fabre chooses Wagner's impressive creation, Der Ring

desNibelungen. Wagner not only raises the opera genre to the status of Gesamtkunstwerk, but he is

also the first composer and theatre maker to have the lights in the theatre dimmed, thus emancipating

a popular medium and turning it into an autonomous aesthetic product. The Power of Theatrical

Madness quotes this emancipatory moment in an extremely long and painful scene, in which an

actress is forcefully denied access to the stage. She scratches, she bites, she seduces, she curses and

shouts, but the actor who is controlling the entrance to the stage drags her back to square one in an

increasingly violent manner. Only when she can answer the repeated sphinx-like riddle, 1876?,which the actor continues to present to her, i.e., the premiere date of theRing, is she allowed back on

stage, the place of birth of theatrical appearances. At the same time as Fabre evokes this part of

theatrical history, he also revives Andersens fairy tale,The Emperor's new clothes. At the centre of

his play is an emperor, armed with a sceptre and crown, who drapes his invisible garments around

his nude body in an attempt to impress his subjects. Throughout the performance, the emperor walks

to and from ceremoniously, past our field of vision, simultaneously astonishing and blinding. With

the demonstration of this sublime lie, the ultimate masquerade, Fabre brings a regnum to the stage

that is on its last legs. His gesture is an evocation and a destruction. Numerous scenes showcase the

splendour and the beauty of the lie. We all want to believe in frogs that turn into princes or in heroes

who venerate their princesses. Fabre creates his own Gesamtkunstwerk, by interweaving an

overwhelming number of projected images of the mannerist schools, with musical quotes by

composers such as Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Othmar Schoeck, Bizet and minimalist music

by Wim Mertens. Meanwhile, the stage is dominated by expurgated actions. It is a remarkably

eclectic composition, in which pose, pomposity and mannerism dominate. The pomposity, however,

is taken down by the sense of reality on the stage: the heroes and princesses are reduced to

perspiration and weight, thanks to endless repetitions and exciting acceleration. A ballet etude

changes into an increasingly faltering choreography. The duration of real time thus undermines the

lie of fiction.

In The Power of Theatrical Madness, Fabre unfolds the principles of power. With a reference to

Foucault, Fabre charts the system of discipline. The actors physical endurance is constantly tested tothe extreme. The uniform movements and clothes are designed to eliminate any sign of individuality.

Commands and submission dominate every scene's actions.


5/13


www.proaartistas.mx

REQUERIMIENTOS TECNICOS

PERFORMING SPACE (see technical plan on last page)

A black dance floor from the ORGANISATION covers the stage, which measures 12 meters wide

by 11 meters deep (plus 3m backstage). It has to be laying from Jardin(stage right) to Cour (stage

left) stage. Each dance floor row has to be 1m50 wide. We prefer to lay it down at the end of the

building! So there is no dance floor down when we start building.

The stage is delineated by the projection screen/backdrop (10 meters wide by 5,92 meters high)

provided by TROUBLEYN. The actors enter and leave the stage to the left and right of this

backdrop.

The wings are closed off with black stage drapes provided by the ORGANISATION.

Twenty-three light bulbs are suspended from white electrical cords in a symmetrical pattern, 2,30

meters above the stage. The light bulbs and white electrical cords are provided by TROUBLEYN.

The digital projector provided by the ORGANISATION has to hang above the public space, or stand

on a balcony. It needs a tele lens and shutter. (lamp: max 6000 ansi-lumen)


6/13


www.proaartistas.mx

IMPORTANT: WE NEED A STAGE HIGHT MINIMUM 90 CM, MAXIMUM 1M50, AND A

FLYBAR 50 CM BEFORE STAGEBORDER (FIRST ROW OF LIGHTBULBS, SEE

TECHNICAL PLAN AT LAST PAGE)

The open space between first row audience and edge of stage must be +- 2m.

ORGANIZER provides:

. Black dance floor 12 meters wide by 11 meters deep

. Black backdrop and side curtains

. Black borders

. Carpets to muffle the noise of footsteps in the backstage

. Material to suspend the light bulbs on the grid or fly bars (gaffer tape, small rubber bands)

.

60 flat, white kitchen porcelain plates with a diameter of +/- 26 cm minimum perperformance/rehearsal

=> see picture bellow. 2 deep, white kitchen porcelain plates with a diameter of +/- 26 cm minimum. 2 Aras (birds), alive. Ara ararauna with a body of at least 40cm (with tail in total 70cm)

=> see picture bellow

. 8 Tomato frogs, alive. Dyscophus (antongilli or guineti)=> see picture on next page

. 2 floor lamps with a chord (10m) and foot switch

. 2 green plastic trash bins with lid with one handle (60 cm high, 70 cm diameter)

. 4 round white buckets (normal size)

. Imitation Louis XVI chair

TROUBLEYN provides:

.

Little plastic bags with fake blood

. Light fitting and cables

.

White backdrop for projection

. 30 light bulbs, 60watt

. 2 blunt kitchen chef knifes

. Small props

White plates Two Aras


7/13


www.proaartistas.mx

Tomato Frog

SCHEDULEFIRST DAY (BUILDING + DRESS REHEARSAL)

9am1pm BUILDING

1pm2pm LUNCH

2pm7pm SPACING + REHEARSAL

7pm8pm DINNER

8pm9pm STAGE PREPARATION

9pm2am DRESS REHEARSAL

SECOND DAY (PERFORMANCE)

2pm - 7pm SPACING + REHEARSAL

7pm8pm LUNCH


9pm2am PERFORMANCE

THIRD DAY (PERFORMANCE 2) (IF THERE IS)

2pm7pm SPACING + REHEARSAL

7pm8pm DINNER


9pm2am PERFORMANCE 2This schedule is ment as a guidel ine and can be adapted according to the cir cumstances!! !


8/13


www.proaartistas.mx

LIGHTING

The lighting board should be placed centrally in the auditorium, next to the sound board. The

23 hanging lamps use 13 channels.

ORGANIZER provides:

. Cabling for hanging lamps

. Preset Lighting desk with minimum 26 faders (cross fade between 2 scenes)

. 6 profile spots 2000W narrow angle with iris

.

Applause light. House lights

Troubleyn provides:

23 candle lamps of 60W with cables


9/13


www.proaartistas.mx


10/13


www.proaartistas.mx

SOUND AND PROJECTION

Music, sound effects, and videos for the performance are on Apple computer.

The soundboard should be placed centrally in the auditorium, together with the light board for

houselights and applause lights.

The video projector should be standing at the first balcony or hanging above the tehnics desks, if

there are no balconys.

We send movies to the projector from apple computer. This computer needs a place next to light and

sound desks.

ORGANIZER provides:

. 2 CD player (for back-up)

.

amplifier

.

small mixing console MAX 24 FADERS.

good quality loudspeakers: FOH + 4 monitors on stage (in each corner). 1 dpa wireless headset microphone for operasinger

. hanging system for the projector

.

1 digital projector max 6000 ansi lumen, with tele lens and shutter


11/13


www.proaartistas.mx

DRESSING ROOM

We need dressing rooms with make up table, mirror and clean towels for 15 performers + 2 extra

dressing rooms for production.

Fresh drinking water (enough small bottles of water), sandwiches, coffee, tea, some fruits, nuts and

anything that gives energy are appreciated!

COSTUMES

We need one assistant, every day, for our costume lady Kasia; for washing, ironing and preparing

costumes.

They will need:

2 Washing machines, and 2 dryers.

2 Ironing boards and irons.

Or dry-clean service to be picked up after the show and brought back the next day ironed.

Clean towels every day for 15 performers in the dressing rooms.

Clean towels every day for 15 performers in the side stage during the performance.

GENERAL NOTES

Technicians needed

Build up & strike:

4 stagehands for building the set and striking the set

.

1 lighting technician

. 1 sound technician

.

1 projection technician


12/13


www.proaartistas.mx


13/13


www.proaartistas.mx

LINK PARA VIDEO

THE POWER OF THE TEATRICAL MADNESS
http://www.proaartistas.mx/http://www.proaartistas.mx/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v02W2QMLHUQhttp://www.proaartistas.mx/

Documents

Dossier Jan-fabre (1)