Theatre
The Minister’s Black Veil
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio
German premiere
World premiere 15 March 2011, Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes
In his new creation Romeo Castellucci has been inspired by the classic text of American gothic: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil from 1836. Its central emblem is the black veil which the Reverend Mr. Hooper wears one day and never takes off again. Is this an act of penance, of guilt or punishment, a gesture of humility or even of pride? This story which was regarded by its author as a »parable« offers fresh material for Castellucci’s suggestive visual theatre to examine the face, the gaze and the relationship between representation and lack of presentability.
The Italian theatre maker and leader of the Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio company does not follow the plot of the original, translating it instead into worlds of image and sound. Between realism and surrealism the director selects a wealth of performance forms ranging from the symbolic to the allegorical, which make what happens on stage no less puzzling, ambiguous and impressive than the events in its literary inspiration.
»›But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?‹ All within hearing immediately turned about, and beheld the semblance of Mr. Hooper, pacing slowly his meditative way towards the meetinghouse. … There was but one thing remarkable in his appearance. Swathed about his forehead, and hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath, Mr. Hooper had on a black veil.«
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Cast
Direction, Stage and Lighting Design Romeo Castellucci
Music Scott Gibbons
With
Silvia Costa and others
Collaboration to the dramaturgy Piersandra Di Matteo
Production Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio with Théâtre National de Bretagne, Rennes
Co-production with Theater der Welt 2010, deSingel international arts campus Antwerpen, Nationaltheatret Oslo, Barbican London und SPILL Festival of Performance, Chekhov International Theatre Festival Moscow, Holland Festival Amsterdam, Athens Festival, GREC 2011 Festival de Barcelona, Festival d’Avignon, Internationales Theaterfestival DIALOG Wrocław, Belgrade International Theatre Festival, spielzeit‘europa | Berliner Festspiele, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Romaeuropa Festival, Theaterfestival SPIELART München, Le-Maillon – Théâtre de Strasbourg / Scène Européenne, TAP Théâtre Auditorium de Poitiers – Scène Nationale, Peak Performances @ Montclair State-USA