In the Solitude of Cotton Fields

A TEN-SECOND PLAY IN BLACK AND WHITE
at the Ohio Theater, Koltes New York Festival 2003

A dealer and a client meet. In this business transaction, demand is a look, supply is a kick; the deal is illicit and the bargain is life itself.

We investigate the ten seconds of a fatal encounter between two men and blow it up to one hour. We zoom in on specific actions (What happened in the dark? Who made the first move? Who died?), and study the close ups as forensic evidence (the hand on the arm, the look, the spit, the jackets on the floor).

Director, Marion Schoevaert provides several scenarios:

1. The story of a man moments before he kills himself.
2. The story of the falling body before it reaches the ground.
3. The story of a man who goes from here to there and is interrupted by a chance encounter in the dark.
4. The story of a man who comes to ask for something and gets it in the end.

In a world where the client is king, the dealer offers the “final nakedness”, softly, respectfully, almost tenderly.

Designed entirely by Anna Kiraly (set, costumes and lights), the set is made of luminescent panels that represent a fractured street corner. Light and darkness collide with the force of enemies.

The live music by Satoshi Takeishi operates like a police evidence tape. Using sampling to fast forward and rewind live text spoken by the actors on stage, he will also be playing on Japanese drums.

Choreographer Stanislas Kemper and actors Terrence Bae and Shaun O’Neil have pooled together their expertise in martial arts, (taekwondo, capoeira, Shaolin kung fu, tai chi and breakdancing). We are using martial arts as a basis to choreograph the characters’ walks, stances and reactions, physical and emotional. It is not a literal demonstration of different styles but an incorporation of the essence of martial art into this dance to the death.

Translated by Lenora Champagne

Directed by Marion Schoevaert

Music by Satoshi Taleishi

With Terrence Bae and Shaun O’Neil

Choreographer Stanislas Kemper

Set design Anna Kiraly

Video by Irina Patkanian

 

Solitude des Champs de Cotton

de Bernard Marie Koltès
traduit par Lenora Champagne
Dans le cadre du Koltes Festival NYC 2003

Nous enquêtons sur la rencontre fatale de dix secondes entre deux hommes et l’élargissons à une heure. Nous zoomons sur des actions spécifiques (que se passe-t-il dans le noir ? qui a fait le premier pas ? qui est mort ?) et étudions ces détails comme pièces à conviction (la main sur le bras, le regard, le crachat, la veste par terre.) Il y a plusieurs scénarios possibles.

1. L’histoire d’un homme juste avant qu’il saute du toit.

2. L’histoire d’un corps qui tombe, juste avant de s’écraser sur le sol.

3. L’histoire d’un homme qui va d’un point à un autre et qui est interrompu par une rencontre de hasard dans le noir.

4. L’histoire d’un homme qui vient demander quelque chose et l’obtient à la fin.

Dans un monde où le client est roi, le dealer lui concède la nudité finale qu’il était venu chercher, avec douceur, respect et presque avec tendresse.