Matei Vișniec: The story of the panda bears told by a saxophonist who has a girlfriend in Frankfurt 

Performers: Zoltán Lendváczky, Erika Tankó, Ákos Orosz, Mariann Molnár
Director: Zoltán Balázs

13 December 2013, Maladype Base

About independent company shows Maladype (which celebrated ten years in 2012) I wrote on several occasions (Leonce and Lena, King Ubu, Egg(s)Hell, Lorenzaccio). As well, about the coherent program that follows the appointed road of freedom and of the authenticity. What I find extremely legitimate in the case of any theatrical company, and particulary this company, is looking for maintained the need to always find new ways of making art. To these are added a real opening towards the spectators or as formulated Balázs Zoltán “we age together with spectators” , having reactions and especially a dialogue is essential during Maladype assumed. That’s why they developed a series of programs that come to recompletion the artistic vision. For instance, "Free Academy", which aims to bring together people with common interests that through public discussion “to find new topics and identities in the concept of reality drama”. In the current season, the themes that were proposed: the power, the formation of conscience, creative thinking, human reactions of relinquished of prejudices. At Maladype’s has place a graphic course and it works as a film club, at which besides the screenings, the participants have the chance to meet the film makers. Another project (which debuted in 2011) is called “Cross-Roads”. He aims to mirror the trends of cultural life, creating contacts between companies with different sensitivities. In the project were involved already independent theaters from various countries. From Romania, Teatrul Act was present in Budapest with ,,Amalia breathe deeply “ into a `shift` of performances and Maladype played in Bucharest ,,King Ubu”.

One of the latest programs are the readings. Here, the text of Matei Vișniec, “The story of the panda bears told by a saxophonist who has a girlfriend in Frankfurt” (in the presence of the author ) of a particular reading, from at least two reasons: the game space and the concept. In the small place – apartament type – from Maladype Theatre is always a pleasure to come back. The rooms from the “Base” have extremely cosy places that invite you to breathe the conviviality air. Furthermore, the rooms are impregnated by the air shows held in the closeness of the spectator. Recognize elements of décor, view and scenary construction who brings automatic mind other mounting. Matei Visniec’s text propose a love affair in nine nights consumed in lyricism , then borders on the dreamer, fractured between two realities. The pattern chosen by Balázs Zoltán for reading corresponds perfectly to the piece. The central place of the “Base” can be accessed in three different rooms. Three doors with their secrets, two couples, four players and nine nights. More than that, the unconventional reading from the formal point of view, a layer of colour throught the ingenuity of thought, of leaving each scene played “in the style” of another painter. They literally become moving painting. A quizz that went over again, in fact, each of the nine nights in a different key, print them over the air in time, and in the image and which restores a wide path, from Botticelli to Picaso and Fernando Botero. Each “speaking ” painting achieved new valences (sometimes comically unexpected) or additional depths by calling a type of imaginary that operates with a different instrumentation. The text is to be transformed into images extremely vivid. The doors open slowly loosen, the light opens in colourful bouquets and the eye perceives the painting made such of skillful by the actors ( in fact all the elements of stage design were created by them). The sentences recieve this way the loads and the virtue of the plastic living. Even if the performance of the play is strongly visual, the actors are away to sit “in the picture”, reading a text.

Two worlds- pictorial and textual are brought together throught the creativity of approach, but also throught acting. If the paintings are asking the attention of the view to the light and to composition, spoken words bring the noise level and complets the meaning of the story.

You can watch, as in Cubist paintings, the same topic from several perspectives simultaneously. Panda bear story can be read in any of the proposed options, having elegance, madness, lust, subtlety, humor, depths, beauty. Each scene provides a extra piece in building the mosaic story and each mosaic title enhances them to others.

The text allows and urges to multiple reading keyes and looks like the actors and the director started a game whereby trying them all. Behind the open doors- are entire worlds of powder which color wires of a beautiful story.

Daniela Magiaru, 2013.