---OTRO MUNDO ES POSIBLE---
For long time, I had the dream of rehearsing a real play. The implementation
started with division of the kids from the poor barrio Tierra Prometida
during the last Campamento in February (see Campamento 2).
At that time I together with Diego, the principal of the "Escuela
de comedia y mio" in Nicaragua, decided to sort out an elite
troop of this crowd. That was also how it worked and I began to
train them in the Comedor of Vida Nueva 2 to 3 times the week. Frequently,
it was hard to motivate them to come regularly. Therefore, in the
first time there did not happen so much.
Nevertheless, this way the idea of the play matured slowly in my
head. It really started, when Carla, a dancer from San José,
bagan working for us. The Department of cultural affairs promised
her a payment.
With her and Luz, a volunteer from Spain, the idea took shape and
the work could start: In order to train we went to Longo Mai three
times. If we did not go there, we rehearsed during the week. It
was often hard to keep the kids calm but still we could make progress.
| Moreover, a former classmate
joined me, who sewed the costumes and all were helping together
until the necessary equipment was available.
Finally, when everything looked rather good Bryan broke his
arm and everything was again postponed for three weeks. So,
the date of presentation was determined in the Complejo Cultural,
the 27.07.04.
Stupidly, the kids had to write exams the last two weeks before.
That was why, they hardly had time to practice but the date
was getting closer without being able to be stopped.
Finally the great day had arrived, posters in the city center,
flyers, announcements in the radio, advertisement in the schools...
had drawed the attention to the spectacle.
The play ist about a village of farmers. Every farmer is
working without a chance to enjoy the life moaning in monologues
about the injustice (tax burdens, hunger, work, egoism). Finally
the queen's messenger arrives announcing the quick arrival
of the queen in the village. The messenger brings clothes
ordering that the farmers schould clean everything as well
as presenting the queen something of their everyday life,
so that you can see the gladness in her eyes.
In the night a farmer is dreaming of a confrontation between
the queen and the farmers. At the beginning they got beaten
all the time, but when they come together in order to fight
together they are driving out the queen. |
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(This dream consists of a mixture between dance and acrobatics
taught by Carla, a dancer of San José).
Next morning everybody is chatting about the queen´s arrival
and the farmer is remembering the dream. He is telling the farmers
forcefully into being able to change something and finally succeeds.
So finally the queen enters, sits down on her rostrum and the presentation
of the farmers starts. On of them is introducing the show. They
are performing what a good lifes they live and how bored they are
because of that. How many fruits they have (symbolized with juggling),
how they have to impress the women as they are so demanding (diabolo,
plato chino, unicycle),..... They are permofrming this all in a
very exaggerated way
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During the part of acrobatics,
they are presenting how essential it is to have sport because
of the little exercise they have in their everyday life.
But the highest and tallest pyramid finally collapses, the
light goes out and the queen turns around in confusion. All
of a sudden one of the crowd raises and says to the queen:
"But this is not the truth. It is the truth as you want
to see it. But our reality is much more miserable as you can
imagine it." And that is how the farmers repeat their
monologues about hunger, taxes and work, dressed in their
rags, in other words dressed in their everyday clothes instead
of the disguises of the queens messenger. The last one states:
"We were egoists, separated.... but now we have decided
to change things together". |
Then the threating dance of the dream restarts and everything
seems as if the farmers have won. Suddenly, the queen raises,
takes of her mask and brings the farmers a bowl of canfin as
gesture of reconciliation. She showes herself from another,
a human side. The farmers soak their chains of fire and their
clubs and the queen gives them fire in order to start a fireshow
together. That way the farmers and the queen got united. In
the end they all go in a group that consists of equal indivudauls
only to the audience in order to bow.
After the show everybody was overjoyed and of course the kids
were proud. Carla, Luz and were really released. This such demanding
idea, that seemed impossible to realize so often, was finally
successful with a result that surpassed all expectations. |
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