TEÑ Theatre’s Swan Lake
Russia’s TEÑ Theatre’s Swan Lake, directed by M. Krasnopolskaya and I. Epelbaum, brought their multimedia madcap version of Swan Lake to the stage of the recently restored landmark Juan Bravo Theatre. Using almost every known technique, the large-scale shadows were cast on white drapes that filled the stage and allowed entrances by performers who appeared on both sides. The shadows illustrated the double nature of the swan/woman motif. The tone of the piece shifted from the antic to the morbid emotional qualities that found in the music. The plot revealed that Tchaikowsky had initially composed the music for this war-horse of the classical ballet repertoire as an opera commissioned by an aristocratic host entertaining summer guests at a country estate. This historical note also became part of a performance that I cannot describe without thinking of Monty Python. There were five prodigiously talented performers. In addition to the two directors/puppeteers, there were two opera singers and one classical pianist who claimed to be performing the arias "for the first time on any stage." All danced and clowned expertly, mixing and fusing their theatrical gifts eager to entertain us. Before us they laid visual and musical riches that may have baffled and exhausted the audience, but never for a moment bored it.
Events in the Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor was often the outdoor setting for Plansjet. The performers were a middle-aged couple in Brughelesque costumes. She played hurdy-gurdy and other instruments while he manipulated beautifully carved wooded marionettes carted onto the square. The performance of short skits was very understated and charmed the audience with the craftsmanship of the puppets and their simple movements.
Venus, the Dutch juggler, followed them and won the audience with her skillful display. Her interaction with naughty kids and attempts to communicate in Spanish with the audience injected a lot of humor into the performance.
