version française
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Mégaphonie Louis Calaferte
Freedom of thought and the control of humans by humans have been for a long time a central preoccupation in my work I come across many strangers who have fled dictatorships (Togolese, Chilians, Argentians, ..). I have gone myself to Togo : the absence of liberty and the people’s fear have very much impressed me. Milena Gilabert who interprets Mega 2 lived in Pinochet ‘s dictatorship and she participated in the war criminals ‘s research. But, what I like very much in Mégaphonie is that other underworlds with totalitarian leeways are displayed : publicity, democracy, capitalism, science.
Scenography: In the center of stage, a metallic structure represents Hôtecompétence (Bigcompetence) Several ropes and elastics surround her, like a spider in its web. As the matter of fact, the control and the coldness which come out of the dramatic situations make me think of flee captured in a spider‘s web : it struggles, becomes exhausted and finally accepts the death while the spider, sure of itself and overpowerful, obverves and eats it. “Hôtecompétence” the Super Structure who manages everything, weaves its web in consciousness and in human life ; it doesn’t become exhausted but kills by exhausting. The structure is in the same time desk, tv studio, platform, windows, ... “Hôtecompétence” is animated by a third character, wearing black, who, with a moving projector, projects its shadow. Thus the Structure grows, retracts, is audible, ... The projector is also an eye or supervision camera, or this third character – who, like a shadow, animates the lights and objects – is an agent of this Super Structure called “Hôtecompétence”. At the front of it, and independant, a small structure is made use of like a seat, tribunal, trench, ... The text : Mega 1 and Mega 2, interchageable characters, are manipulated by a totalitarian society. They undergo it, carry it too, but a non conformable throught – appears without their perceiving it – banishes them, convicts them, saves them maybe.... Saves us if we know to see them.... If we discern this third protagonist strange and almost inactive, who manages the situation. The totalitarian leeways don’t exist only in dictatorship. These characters, who almost have lost their humanity, keep, however,, the capacity to feel, remember and hope. I want to follow scrupulously the rhythmic of the text which is brought forth, as well as to make audible the subtility of this writing (word lightly modified, invented from another, ...) The gestures and the choice of staging come from the text, but after the characters ‘s speech and playing derived from the body.
The playing :
Mega 1 and Mega 2 are characters without personality, they change roles depending on scene and moment, the situation and the position which they occupy. They are not conscious of their psychology because they are alienated. In this type of society a personal psychology is rejected. Thus the bodies will be marked and will live despite the absence of thinking. The body is for the human being – and for the other animals - the first receptacle. We can’t dissimulate with it, it doesn’t know how to lie. This is why the words in this play are, first, sounds and rythms, it means respiration and resonances. The two characters will express with their bodies, which reflect and reveal the situation. So I choose to play with “bodily states” more than with “spiritual states ”because the characters are empty, gutted “the individual guitted from born to his death” They are like insects : their skeleton is outside and they are spineless, without personality within. The movements of characters will oscillate between gestual inspired by insects when they are in the norm (in articulation, respiration, differents types of looking and rhythms), a gestual more human when they escape from their condition (by remembrance, by affection, ...), and a liquefaction when they are victim of personel attack, when their carapace is broken.
So I create a body’s partition which follows the sound partition of Louis Calaferte, without hiding or repeating it. The body of characters express themselves in a subtle manner. Their gestual is inspired by cockroach and praying mantis depending on moments. Of course, the actress – dancers don’t want to imitate these beasts. We are just endowed with some characteristics : carapace – but not a round back -, dissociation of articulations, head ‘s axis, abscence of lungs, looking, feelers, ... The Megas are, for me, clowns too. “ I go there this evening tomorow surely in morning” “what of new of last news “ They often fall down, get caugth in ropes. They pass from one state to another with the rapidity and enthusiasm of clowns or children. As a matter of fact, the clowns represent persons who undergo, who are unwedged without wanting this and even without knowing it... The Mégas become rebellious without their knowing it.
Documentary : Pia Lutier, for her Master 2 at the Sorbonne in Paris 8, has made a documentary of Lucile Hannesse artistic way in Mégaphonie ‘s staging. She connects this work with Milena‘s past (what she lived in Chili and her researches of war criminals).
Staging: Lucile Hannesse Scénography : Josiel Lemaître Interpreters : Milena Gilabert, Lucile Hannesse et Josiel Lemaître
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