Oslobođenje
Marko KOVAČEVIĆ
UNDER THE VEIL OF THE MASK
Experiences of “theatre in the living room”
And when they appeared three years ago (then still as a “closed” theatre), they aroused lively interest. When their play “Etude” appeared, as they said, it was a “utopian” attempt to create a “private theatre in the living room”, the interest grew even more. And when they are today included in the official competition of the Festival of Small and Experimental Stages of Yugoslavia (with the play “Somebody has Killed the Play”), they are coming, looking for them, asking them… We also came to talk about their theatre, about work, about plans.
The premiere of this play was on December 12 at the “Collegium Artisticum”, followed by guest appearances in Skopje and Mostar.
— We worked on the play for full six months – says Iva Kostović -Mandić and adds: – Scenography, mask making, choreography, and performance are all the work of two of us, my husband Petar and me. The play was created as a result of researching the possibility of using the mask in theatre. The function of the mask here is not exhausted in its artistic meaning but takes on the dimensions of any “dramatic” character, which means that it is developing. This is possible if the mask is placed as a physical sign of the action understood as a clear action on stage. The mask is completely immersed in the action and is in its function.
How does the form of your play come about (since the text does not exist)?
— We start from the idea, which is the basis for everything. It needs to be concretised, transferred in action. It is a kind of process from abstract to concrete, which is characteristic of every theatrical act. However, what is specific to our play is that by using a mask and playing without words, this process runs more directly and more directed. The plot is in front of the eyes of the spectators, there is no diversion.
From this it can be concluded that stage movement is very important in your performances. How do you create it?
— During everyday training we use the technique of classical ballet – says Peter Mandic. – We take any movement, we develop it and use it as the mask requires. Which means every movement is in the function of the mask.
The very name “Mask and movement” doesn’t that mean a return to that original theatre, when the actors were hiding “under the veil of the mask”?
— Only the means we use are traditional, so the mask is traditional (known from the history of theatre), but we bring those means into our own context. It is a conditional creation of a “syncretic theatre”, but it is not going into a historical reconstruction (which would be incomprehensible to the viewer). On contrary, we present current meanings, we build understandable and simple symbols that communicate with today’s spectator.
Two young people chose to research two stage means: mask and movement, and created a specific theatre that, in their words, should be constantly developing, including a wider circle of interested people. But, not only individuals but also institutions to which such research in theatrical art brings newer and newer knowledge. Iva Kostović-Mandić and Petar Mandić are ready to cooperate.
Oslobođenje
Marko KOVAČEVIĆ
POD VELOM MASKE
Iskustva »pozorišta u stanu«
I kada su se pojavili prije tri godine (tada još kao »zatvoreni« teatar), pobudili su živo interesovanje. Kada se pojavila njihova predstava »Etida«, kako rekoše, bio je to »utopijski« pokušaj stvaranja »privatnog pozorišta u stanu«, interesovanje je još više poraslo. A kada su danas uvršteni u zvaničnu konkurenciju Festivala malih i eksperimentalnih scena Jugoslavije (predstavom »Neko je ubio pjesmu«) dolaze, traže ih, pitaju ih… Došli smo i mi da razgovaramo o njihovom pozorištu, o radu, o planovima.
Premijera ove predstave bila je 12. decembra u »Kolegijumu artistikumu«, a onda su uslijedila gostovanja u Skoplju i Mostaru.
— Predstavu smo radili punih šest mjeseci – kaže Iva Kostović -Mandić i dodaje: — Scenografija, izrada maske, koreografija i izvedba sve je djelo nas dvoje, moga muža Petra i mene. Predstava je nastala kao rezultat istraživanja mogućnosti upotrebe maske u pozorištu. Funkcija maske ovdje se ne iscrpljuje u njenom likovnom značenju nego poprima dimenzije kakve ima bilo koji »dramski« lik, što znači da se ona razvija. To je moguće ako se maska postavi kao fizički znak radnje shvaćene kao jasno djelovanje na sceni. Maska je potpuno uronjena u radnju i u njenoj je funkciji.
Kako nastaje forma vaše predstave (pošto tekst ne postoji)?
— Polazimo od ideje, koja je osnova za sve. Nju treba konkretizovati, prenijeti je u radnju. To je svojevrstan proces od apstraktnog ka konkretnom, koji je karakterističan za svaki pozorišni čin. Međutim, ono što je specifično za našu predstavu to je da upotrebom maske i igre bez riječi ovaj proces teče direktnije i usmjerenije. Radnja je pred očima gledalaca, nema nikakvog skretanja.
Iz ovoga se može zaključiti da je u vašim predstavama veoma važan scenski pokret. Kako ga stvarate?
— Prilikom svakodnevnog vježbanja koristimo se tehnikom klasičnog baleta – kaže Petar Mandić. – Uzimamo bilo kakav pokret, razvijamo ga i upotrebljavamo ga kako maska zahtijeva. Znači svaki pokret je u funkciji maske.
Sam naziv »Maska i pokret« ne znači li povratak na ono prvobitno pozorište, kada su se glumci skrivali »ispod vela maske«?
— Samo sredstva koja koristimo su tradicionalna, znači maska je tradicionalna (poznata iz istorije pozorišta), ali mi ta sredstva dovodimo u vlastiti kontekst. To je uslovno stvaranje »sinkretičkog pozorišta« no to nije odlaženje u istorijsku rekonstrukciju (što bi bilo nerazumljivo gledaocu). Naprotiv, mi iznosimo aktuelna značenja, gradimo razumljive i jednostavne simbole koji komuniciraju sa današnjim gledaocem.
Dvoje mladih ljudi je izabralo istraživanje dva scenska sredstva: masku i pokret, i napravilo specifičan teatar koji, njihovim riječima, treba neprekidno da se razvija, uključujući i širi krug zainteresovanih. Ali, ne samo pojedinaca nego i institucija kojim ovakva istraživanja u pozorišnoj umjetnosti donose novija i novija saznavanja. Iva Kostović-Mandić i Petar Mandić su spremni na saradnju.
