In May 2003, the producers Marion Schoevaert (In Parentheses), Doris Mirescu (Dangerous Grounds Production) and Robert Lyons (Soho Think Tank) brought the entire body of work of French playwright Bernard Marie Koltes to the American stage.
“This festival uses new American translations of the plays, so Koltes now sounds like Dante speaking in the voice of Sam Sheppard”
D.J. R. Bruckner, New York Times, May 21, 2003
We produced new American translations of 4 plays performed in repertory: WEST PIER directed by Jay Sheib, BATTLE OF BLACK AND DOGS directed by Doris Mirescu, IN THE SOLITUDE OF COTTON FIELDS directed by Marion Schoevaert, ROBERTO ZUCCO directed by Daniel Safer, also new translations of two staged readings, TABATABA and BACK TO THE DESERT directed by Richard Kimmel and THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FORESTS directed by David Levine.
We organized a one-day symposium inviting all the directors, translators and actors of the festival, along with French theater expert Professor Emmanuel Wallon, Hungarian Theater Historian Nina Kiraly, Yale University Professor, Donia Mounsef and Village Voice journalist, Thomas Sellar.
« A spontaneously ambitious and anarchic act must be committed. »
Bernard-Marie Koltès
WEBSITE
KoltesNY2003
REVIEWS
KOLTES NY FESTIVAL 2003
PRESS
“Ce festival utilise de nouvelles traductions américaines des pièces, et maintenant Koltès s’écoute comme Dante qui parlerait avec la voix de Sam Sheppard”
D.J. R. Bruckner, New York Times, May 21, 2003
Koltès New York est le résultat de deux ans de travail intense d’un groupe de traducteurs dont la collaboration a ouvert la question essentielle de la compréhension du texte, de sa fidélité à l’original et à sa polysémie. D’une langue à une autre cela est, et continue d’être une merveilleuse et vraie aventure. Economie, simplicité, mots joués sur la scène. Koltès New York offre des traductions audacieuses, innovantes et solides.
Koltès New York est aussi une collaboration entre metteurs en scène qui représentent une nouvelle génération de créateurs. Ils apportent de nouvelles formes de représentation récit, d’autres perceptions de la réalité, d’exploration de langage, de l’espace et du mouvement. En questionnant l’essentiel du théâtre, on interroge notre propre modernité, obligeant le public à aller au-delà de ce que les grecs appellent la doxa, la soumission à l’ordre social.
Credits
In the Solitude of Cotton Fields
translated by Lenora Champagne
directed by Marion Schoevaert
Roberto Zucco
translated and directed by Daniel Safer
Battle of Black and Dogs
translated by Michaël Attias
directed by Doris Mirescu
West Pier
translated by Marion Schoevaert and Theresa Weber
directed by Jay Scheib
Tabataba et Back to the desert
translated by Andy Bragen
reading directed by Richard Kimmel
The Night just before the forest
translated by Hillary Gardner
reading directed by David Levine
Soho Think Tank
Ohio Theater
66 Wooster Street
New York
Marion Schoevaert 