Krakow Festival Office
Divine Comedy 2010
Divine Comedy 2010
July
Director: Iwan Wyrypajew
Vyrypajev’s work is a monologue of a 63-year-old man who for reasons unknown murders, quarters, and devours his victims. In this production, his part is performed by a frail and beautiful young actress. The confession of the monster becomes something to the like of a musical score, spoken out, suggestively chanted into a microphone. In Wyrypajew’s project, the contrast between the crime and innocence, pathology and charm builds the basic tension. Karolina Gruszka does not play the murderer, nor does she get at the character with any psychological or emotional skeleton key. She remains in counterpoint to the protagonist; she does not try to understand, explain or defend him. Nearly all the time she spends standing in the same place, changes her costume only once, and speaks out the entire text on what nearly seems a single breath. She is the soloist of a theatrical orchestra. A woman who has been possessed by a dybbuk. Something is speaking through her, something is singing through her. Her words are to hurt the spectators, having done no harm to her. The audience believe that what we hear is a prayer from hell.
Photography: Grzegorz Ziemiański
Divine Comedy 2010
Divine Comedy 2010
July
Director: Iwan Wyrypajew
Vyrypajev’s work is a monologue of a 63-year-old man who for reasons unknown murders, quarters, and devours his victims. In this production, his part is performed by a frail and beautiful young actress. The confession of the monster becomes something to the like of a musical score, spoken out, suggestively chanted into a microphone. In Wyrypajew’s project, the contrast between the crime and innocence, pathology and charm builds the basic tension. Karolina Gruszka does not play the murderer, nor does she get at the character with any psychological or emotional skeleton key. She remains in counterpoint to the protagonist; she does not try to understand, explain or defend him. Nearly all the time she spends standing in the same place, changes her costume only once, and speaks out the entire text on what nearly seems a single breath. She is the soloist of a theatrical orchestra. A woman who has been possessed by a dybbuk. Something is speaking through her, something is singing through her. Her words are to hurt the spectators, having done no harm to her. The audience believe that what we hear is a prayer from hell.
Photography: Grzegorz Ziemiański