post after theatre cover 2_post after theatre cover 2 22-04-13 09:34 Pagina 1 SUPPLEMENTS NA(AR) NATO THE (HETAR) edited by Marijke Hoogenboom and Alexander Karschnia HANS-THIES LEHMANN INTERNATIONAL THEATER EDITED BY MARIJKE HOOGENBOOM ABOUT THE BOOK In art, no experimentation is possible without risks, and we HET The term postdramatic has become a key reference point in inter national should welcome even the failures as long as we sense an honest discussions of contemporary theatre. It covers a wide range of aesthetic attempt to find a way beyond established forms that lack the power approaches and it is frequently used as an umbrella notion for a wealth of conviction. No general judgement is possible. Everything depends of new theatrical possibilities. It has brought about a groundbreaking on the quality, the scope, the depth and the honesty of the individual shift in theatre’s dominant paradigm – away from the limitations practice. The space in which these explorations take place must of exclusively dramatic representation. However, na(ar) het theater – be defended by society. after theatre? Supplements to the International Conference on Postdramatic Theatre, is not concerned with giving postdramatic explo rations their long-overdue cultural and intellectual legitimacy. FROM ‘THEATRE AFTER THEATRE’ CONFERENCE — AFTER AND ALEXANDER KARSCHNIA Rather, this book aims to move on and to engage in the fragile relationship THEATER – between the past and the present. Presented here is a collection of essays and other testimonies of theatrical positions, originating within and beyond the postdramatic field, that seeks to identify the state of theatre-making today. It asks what it is that keeps us returning to the theatres.Where are contemporary theatre makers heading? Exit drama. Where and how do we re-enter? Have we come to terms with the postdramatic perspectives? Probably not. Not yet. But we are joyfully moving beyond, back to and towards ON POSTDRAMATIC THEATRE theatre. And we remain curious about what will happen next – what AFTER we will make happen next! na(ar) het theater – after theatre? Supplements to the International Conference on Postdramatic Theatre is published as a response to the exchange between practitioners, dramaturges, producers and theoreticians that took place in Amsterdam in 2006. It is edited by Marijke Hoogenboom and Alexander Karschnia. The book contains contributions from both editors, Marianne Van Kerkhoven, Hans-Thies Lehmann and Kathrin Tiedemann, statements from ten performing artists, and a non-hierarchical representation of the conference. THEATRE?THEATRE ? post after theatre cover 2_post after theatre cover 2 22-04-13 09:34 Pagina 1 SUPPLEMENTS NA(AR) NATO THE (HETAR) edited by Marijke Hoogenboom and Alexander Karschnia HANS-THIES LEHMANN INTERNATIONAL THEATER EDITED BY MARIJKE HOOGENBOOM ABOUT THE BOOK In art, no experimentation is possible without risks, and we HET The term postdramatic has become a key reference point in inter national should welcome even the failures as long as we sense an honest discussions of contemporary theatre. It covers a wide range of aesthetic attempt to find a way beyond established forms that lack the power approaches and it is frequently used as an umbrella notion for a wealth of conviction. No general judgement is possible. Everything depends of new theatrical possibilities. It has brought about a groundbreaking on the quality, the scope, the depth and the honesty of the individual shift in theatre’s dominant paradigm – away from the limitations practice. The space in which these explorations take place must of exclusively dramatic representation. However, na(ar) het theater – be defended by society. after theatre? Supplements to the International Conference on Postdramatic Theatre, is not concerned with giving postdramatic explo rations their long-overdue cultural and intellectual legitimacy. FROM ‘THEATRE AFTER THEATRE’ CONFERENCE — AFTER AND ALEXANDER KARSCHNIA Rather, this book aims to move on and to engage in the fragile relationship THEATER – between the past and the present. Presented here is a collection of essays and other testimonies of theatrical positions, originating within and beyond the postdramatic field, that seeks to identify the state of theatre-making today. It asks what it is that keeps us returning to the theatres.Where are contemporary theatre makers heading? Exit drama. Where and how do we re-enter? Have we come to terms with the postdramatic perspectives? Probably not. Not yet. But we are joyfully moving beyond, back to and towards ON POSTDRAMATIC THEATRE theatre. And we remain curious about what will happen next – what AFTER we will make happen next! na(ar) het theater – after theatre? Supplements to the International Conference on Postdramatic Theatre is published as a response to the exchange between practitioners, dramaturges, producers and theoreticians that took place in Amsterdam in 2006. It is edited by Marijke Hoogenboom and Alexander Karschnia. The book contains contributions from both editors, Marianne Van Kerkhoven, Hans-Thies Lehmann and Kathrin Tiedemann, statements from ten performing artists, and a non-hierarchical representation of the conference. THEATRE?THEATRE ? NAT(AR)HE THEATER– AFTERTHEATRE? SUPPLEMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POSTDRAMATIC THEATRE TABLE OF CONTENTS ByWay of an Introduction <Anarchiv/> After theatre we go home A non-hierarchical once more representation of the conference by Marijke Hoogenboom page 57 and Alexander Karschnia page 6 <Anarchiv/> Colour-coded renderings NA(AR) HET THEATER – page 58 AFTER THEATRE? Edited extracts from <Anarchiv/> the conference transcript Scores page 8 page 72 Who Needs Responsibility? <Anarchiv/> On current (co-)production Conference database conditions in Germany’s page 74 independent theatre by Kathrin Tiedemann Conference Images page 22 page 82 Excerpt from maatschappij discordia Stones in the Stream performs Katalogus (Catalogue) An appeal for trust page 118 by Marianne Van Kerkhoven page 28 War, Silence... Reflections on tragedy, Sketches from politics and theatre the Theory Training by Marianne Van Kerkhoven by Alexander Karschnia page 120 page 32 Artists’Statements The Drama of Drama by Lotte van den Berg, Nicola Nord, by Alexander Karschnia Andrea Bozic, David Weber-Krebs, page 34 Ivana Müller, Bill Aitchison, Joachim Robbrecht, Edit Kaldor, Theatre After Theatre Jetse Batelaan, Ritsaert ten Cate Mirror, mirror, fourth wall! page 128 by Hans-Thies Lehmann page 47 Participants page 154 Conference Programme page 158 Index Index of <Anarchiv/> keywords with editors’ additions page 160 (23) THEATRE (08) INTERNATIONAL (06) MICKERY BY WAYOF AN (06) POSTDRAMATIC (05) DUTCH INTRODUCTION (05) LEHMANNAfter theatre we go home once more. by Marijke Hoogenboom (04) AMSTERDAM— Jetse Batelaan and Alexander Karschnia (04) HISTORY (04) POSTDRAMATIC THEATRE (03) HANS-THIES LEHMANN The international conference na(ar) het theater – after theatre? 1. (03) TIME in Amsterdam, was initially conceived by Nicola Nord, Marijke Hans-Thies Lehmann. Postdramatic (02) ALEXANDERHoogenboom KARSCHNIA and Alexander Karschnia to provide a platform Theatre, translated and with an (02) ARTS introduction by Karen Jürs-Munby, for Postdramatic Theatre, the influential book by Hans-Thies Lehmann.₁ Routledge, London and New York (02) BOOK Seven years after its original German publication – and following 2006. (02) EXPERIMENTAL translations into French, Japanese and Slovenian – it was finally 2. (02) EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE to become available to an Anglophone readership. Postdramatic Theatre discusses,among (02) FABRE As theatre theoreticians, dramaturges and practitioners, living others, Jan Fabre, Jan Lauwers/ (02) FLEMISH Needcompany, Theater groep and working in the Netherlands in 2006, it naturally concerned us that Hollandia, maatschappij discordia, (02) JAN FABRE Dutch and Flemish reception of the publication had, but for a few Gerardjan Rijnders, Ivo van Hove, (02) JAN LAUWERSexceptions, been rather restrained. Up to this point, it had not received Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, (02) KARSCHNIA Dood Paard, Dito Dito, tg stan, the recognition it so richly deserves for the ambitious position ‘t Barre Land, Wim Vandekeybus (02) LAUWERS it takes by placing Lowlands theatre practice of the 1980s and 1990s and Michel Laub / Remote Control. (02) MAKERS in the context of a truly inter national avant-garde.₂ Relevant responses to the book (02) MEANING include Erwin Jans, ‘Theater voorbij In the prologue to the German version, Lehmann acknowledges het drama?’(‘Theatre beyond drama’), (02) NETHERLANDS the crucial role in this process of ‘one person and one place’– referring in Etcetera 73, October 2000, (02) PERSPECTIVEto the Mickery Theater in Amsterdam and its director Ritsaert pp. 54–59, written following the (02) POSITION inter national colloquium New Theatre ten Cate. He sees Ten Cate as a creative, daring and visionary producer Concepts, organised in September (02) PRACTICE of experimental theatre, and Mickery as the forerunner of many 2000 by the Flemish initiative (01) ANALYSISvenues that would become co-producers of the independent European Aisthesis and the Centre for Art (01) ART and Philosophy at the Erasmus theatre scene. In a period when the arts community in the Netherlands University, Rotterdam. Luk Van den (01) ARTISTIC has tended to isolate itself from the rest of the world, we wanted Dries, Jan Fabre, Jan Lauwers and (01) AUDIENCEto remind ourselves of the unique artistic capital built