What Barba Is Doing in Iran with “The Tree”

Denmark-based Barba, who was born and grew up in Italy, is one of the most significant artists of experimental theatre and theatre anthropology, irantheater.ir reported. reported.

He started his professional career in 1962 as an assistant to Jerzy Grotowski, who was the director of the Theatre of 13 Rows at that time.

Mr Barba founded Odin Teatret in October 1964 in Oslo, Norway and moved to Holstebro, Denmark in 1966. He has been working with Odin Teatret over the past five decades, turning into an internationally-acclaimed director of theatre thanks to development of his techniques, views and training of actors and dramaturgy.

Mr Barba has directed 77 productions with Odin Teatret and with the intercultural Theatrum Mundi Ensemble such as Ferai (1969), My Father's House (1972), Brecht's Ashes (1980), The Gospel according to Oxyrhincus (1985), Talabot (1988), Kaosmos (1993), Mythos (1998), Andersen's Dream (2004), Ur-Hamlet (2006), Don Giovanni all'Inferno (2006), The Marriage of Medea (2008) and The Chronic Life (2012) and The Tree (2016).

Mr Barba is accompanying Odin Teatret ensemble to Tehran where they will present the most recent ensemble performance The Tree, two solo performances, give two Master Classes and two workshops during their weeklong stay.

Odin Teatret said in its website http://www.odinteatret.dk about “The Tree”;

The tree of History grows vigorously and dead. Around it, child-soldiers and praying monks dance together with warlords, a wrathful mother, and the daughter of a poet who, as a child, dreamed of flying away with her father.

Two story-tellers introduce and comment upon characters and events: in the Syrian desert two Yazidi monks plant a pear tree to call back the birds that have disappeared; in Nigeria a mother rests under the shadow of the tree of forgetfulness holding in her arms the head of her daughter hidden in a gourd; a European warlord explains the necessity for ethnic cleansing to an African warlord who performs a human sacrifice to make his army of child soldiers invulnerable before leading them into battle; a girl plays with her dolls around the tree her father planted when she was born, wondering how birds see the earth from the air.

 

The tree of History finally bends under the weight of fruit and offers a home to the birds that are flying over the heads of the spectators. But what kind of birds are they?

The actors of “The Tree” include Luis Alonso, Parvathy Baul, I Wayan Bawa, Kai Bredholt, Roberta Carreri, Donald Kitt, Elena Floris, Carolina Pizarro, Fausto Pro, Iben Nagel Rasmussen, Julia Varley.

 Other members are scenic space: Luca Ruzza, Odin Teatret, lighting designer: Lucca Ruzza and OpenLab Company, lighting advisor: Jesper Kongshaug, tree conception and realization: Giovanna Amoroso and Istvan Zimmermann, Plastikart, software programming: Massimo Zomparelli, costumes and props: Odin Teatret, poster: Barbara Kaczmarek, musical director: Elena Floris, technical director: Fausto Pro, puppets: Niels Kristian Brinth, Fabio Butera, Samir Muhamad, I Gusti Made Lod, dolls’ heads: Signe Herlevsen, photos: Rina Skeel, dramaturg: Thomas Bredsdorff, literary advisor: Nando Taviani, text: Odin Teatret, director’s assistants: Elena Floris, Julia Varley and director: Eugenio Barba.