The essay (bilingual Italian / English) contextualizes the theater in open spaces, underlining the strong political sense of its origins. At least if we refer to the contemporary tradition of street theatre, which arose between the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, with the experiences of the Living Theatre, Odin Teatret, Bread and Puppet Theatre and therefore with the explosion of group theatre that since the International Colloquium in Belgrade in 1976 had found its own distinctive feature in the extensive production of street shows and parades. Paraphrasing the words of Fabrizio Cruciani, who dedicated a fundamental book to street theatre, these were years when the theatre seemed to explode, «breaking out of the narrow confines of the theatres and of the traditional craft to spill out» , and to incorporate the needs, the effervescence and also the social emergencies that were being expressed outside. It is clear to everyone that the street theatre has been continuing for years in a descending trajectory. Less practised, even in countries where it has a greater tradition, such as Italy, or practiced in forms that have lost contact with its strongest matrix which is politics and commitment. Foundations that on the level of theatrical language found a sense in the breaking of convention, the formal wrapping of the theatre show and the passive role of the spectator. Basic elements that the Mauerspringer project focuses on, starting with the title. Mauerspringer are wall jumpers, the name given to those who climbed the Berlin Wall. Starting from this reference, Mauerspringer has built a new piece of the contemporary tradition of street theatre by reintroducing the content of transgression and utopia that are part of its DNA. The transgression of those in East Germany who decided to climb the wall finds contemporary reflexes in the transgression of those who, without permission, face crossing the sea or desert to escape war or poverty. And it embraces the utopia that, in the name of welcoming spirit and inclusion, the walls can be broken down, the borders can be opened. And here comes the theatre, which has the natural role to host the utopia, which normally has no territory, no place to experiment and represent itself. And here enter the specific ingredients of Mauerspringer: the street, migrants, non actors. The Creative Europe programme promotes diversity, cultural specificity and at the same time the common cultural heritage of countries. Not the expressions of homologated culture. So, now that the street theatre is in crisis and is no longer supported (if not in a few countries) through public funding, festivals and local events, Europe intervenes in promoting the niche excellence of this theatre form, in its different local expressions, promoting the transnational circulation of companies and the development of new audiences.
Il saggio (bilingue italiano/inglese) contestualizza il teatro negli spazi aperti rimarcando il forte senso politico delle sue origini. Almeno se ci riferiamo alla tradizione contemporanea del teatro di strada, che ha il suo atto di nascita fra gli anni sessanta e settanta del Novecento, con le esperienze del Living Theatre, dell’Odin Teatret, del Bread and Puppet e quindi con l’esplosione del teatro di gruppo che, a partire dal Colloquio internazionale di Belgrado nel 1976, ha trovato una sua cifra distintiva proprio nell’ampia produzione di spettacoli di strada e di parate. Anni in cui, per parafrasare le parole di Fabrizio Cruciani, che al teatro di strada ha dedicato un libro fondamentale, il teatro sembrava esplodere, «prorompendo dalle strettezze delle sale e del mestiere per rovesciarsi all’esterno» , e inglobare i bisogni, l’effervescenza e anche le emergenze sociali che si esprimevano all’esterno. È sotto gli occhi di tutti che il teatro di strada stia proseguendo da anni una parabola discendente. Meno praticato, persino nei paesi in cui vanta una maggiore tradizione, come l’Italia, o praticato in forme che hanno perso il contatto proprio con la sua matrice più forte: la politica, l’impegno. Istanze che, sul piano del linguaggio teatrale, trovavano un corrispettivo nella rottura delle convenzioni, dell’involucro formale dello spettacolo e della dimensione passiva dello spettatore. Fondamenti che il progetto Mauerspringer rimette al centro: a partire dal titolo. Mauerspringer sono i saltatori di muri, come erano chiamati coloro che scavalcavano il muro di Berlino in cerca della libertà. A partire da questo riferimento, Mauerspringer costruisce un nuovo tassello della tradizione contemporanea del teatro di strada rilanciando i contenuti di trasgressione e utopia che fanno parte del suo DNA. La trasgressione di chi, nella Germania dell’Est, decideva di scavalcare il muro trova riflessi contemporanei nella trasgressione di chi, senza permessi, affronta oggi le traversate del mare o del deserto per sfuggire alla guerra o alla povertà. E abbraccia l’utopia che i muri si possano abbattere, i confini superare, in nome dell’accoglienza e dell’inclusione. E qui entra il teatro, statutariamente delegato ad accogliere l’u-topia, ovvero ciò che normalmente è privo di territorialità: non ha un luogo dove sperimentarsi e rappresentarsi. Ed entrano gli ingredienti specifici di Mauerspringer: la strada, i migranti, i non-attori. Il programma Europa Creativa promuove la diversità, la specificità culturale dei singoli paesi e insieme il patrimonio culturale comune. Non le espressioni della cultura omologata. Ecco che, oggi che il teatro di strada è in crisi, non è adeguatamente supportato (se non in pochi paesi) attraverso finanziamenti pubblici, festival, rassegne e iniziative locali, interviene l’Europa. Che nel promuovere l’eccellenza di nicchia del teatro di strada, nelle sue differenti espressioni nazionali, favorisce al contempo la circolazione transnazionale delle compagnie e lo sviluppo di nuovi pubblici.
Attualità e aporie del teatro di strada / Contemporaneity and aporias of street theatre
Cristina Valenti
2020
Abstract
The essay (bilingual Italian / English) contextualizes the theater in open spaces, underlining the strong political sense of its origins. At least if we refer to the contemporary tradition of street theatre, which arose between the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, with the experiences of the Living Theatre, Odin Teatret, Bread and Puppet Theatre and therefore with the explosion of group theatre that since the International Colloquium in Belgrade in 1976 had found its own distinctive feature in the extensive production of street shows and parades. Paraphrasing the words of Fabrizio Cruciani, who dedicated a fundamental book to street theatre, these were years when the theatre seemed to explode, «breaking out of the narrow confines of the theatres and of the traditional craft to spill out» , and to incorporate the needs, the effervescence and also the social emergencies that were being expressed outside. It is clear to everyone that the street theatre has been continuing for years in a descending trajectory. Less practised, even in countries where it has a greater tradition, such as Italy, or practiced in forms that have lost contact with its strongest matrix which is politics and commitment. Foundations that on the level of theatrical language found a sense in the breaking of convention, the formal wrapping of the theatre show and the passive role of the spectator. Basic elements that the Mauerspringer project focuses on, starting with the title. Mauerspringer are wall jumpers, the name given to those who climbed the Berlin Wall. Starting from this reference, Mauerspringer has built a new piece of the contemporary tradition of street theatre by reintroducing the content of transgression and utopia that are part of its DNA. The transgression of those in East Germany who decided to climb the wall finds contemporary reflexes in the transgression of those who, without permission, face crossing the sea or desert to escape war or poverty. And it embraces the utopia that, in the name of welcoming spirit and inclusion, the walls can be broken down, the borders can be opened. And here comes the theatre, which has the natural role to host the utopia, which normally has no territory, no place to experiment and represent itself. And here enter the specific ingredients of Mauerspringer: the street, migrants, non actors. The Creative Europe programme promotes diversity, cultural specificity and at the same time the common cultural heritage of countries. Not the expressions of homologated culture. So, now that the street theatre is in crisis and is no longer supported (if not in a few countries) through public funding, festivals and local events, Europe intervenes in promoting the niche excellence of this theatre form, in its different local expressions, promoting the transnational circulation of companies and the development of new audiences.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
