A meeting of multi-national minds

THEATERTREFFEN has been held in Berlin every May since 1964 and has as its centrepiece the 10 “most remarkable productions” staged by German theatres over the season. The works are selected by a small group of theatre critics who travel throughout the federal republic as well as Austria and Switzerland all year round. 
Earlier this month, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office invited 22 theatre experts from 22 countries on a Theatertreffen-themed seven-day Willkommen programme and I was honoured to be among the three Asians.
Arriving two days ahead of the official programme to deal with jet-lag, I attended the opening production, Theater Basel’s “Three Sisters”, a free adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic. For the first time, Chekhov’s work didn’t make my eyelids heavy, thanks in part to frequently simultaneous dramatic actions in different rooms of a glass house on a revolving stage, a happy marriage of a director’s, cast members’ and set designer’s work. 

The Theatertreffen jury also included works that were not in the German language as long as a German theatre company was a co-producer. That was the case for British collective Forced Entertainment’s “Real Magic”, which will also be part of the British Council’s Edinburgh Showcase this August. Three British performers repeated the same scene from a game show over and over again and yet, thanks to their creativity, it never felt boring and reminded me of our popular TV game shows and, well, life itself.
In International Institute of Political Murder and CAMPO Ghent’s “Five Easy Pieces”, Swiss director Milo Rau showed how he’s a master of documentary theatre. By having Belgian children actors perform the dramatic events surrounding the case of a Belgian child murderer, he dared to push the boundaries and divide his audience. 
With deft use of live video, a stage set up that divided the audience into two groups who would never get to watch all the same actions, and engaging contemporary, political and social issues, Schauspiel Dortmund’s “The Borderline Procession” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that became our group’s favourite work.
There was also ample time to watch productions outside the festival, and I was surprised to find that many works are staged with English surtitles – and the ticket-booking website is also in English – such as the Deutsches Theater Berlin’s “The Glass Menagerie”, another fresh interpretation of a modern classic American drama, and the Schaubuehne’s “Dead Dog at Dry Cleaners: The Strong” by Spanish playwright Angelica Liddell. Even without English surtitles, such as in the case of internationally renowned American director and designer Robert Wilson’s “Faust I and II” at the Berliner Ensemble, a quick refamiliarisation with the German classic and his immaculate staging of his music theatre were enough to keep me fully engaged throughout its four-hour running time.
Apart from watching theatre productions, we listened to lectures by German dramaturgs who explained the structure of German theatre today and talks by independent theatre’s artistic directors and festival curators. We also had discussions with the production teams of the productions we attended. Information on co-production funds by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Goethe Institut, which organised our tour, was also given. A meeting with students and professors from Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts introduced how the acting techniques introduced by Russian director Constantin Stanislavsky and those by German counterpart Bertolt Brecht are being taught together. Another meeting with the Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin explained how the professors are training a new breed of choreographers who do not need a dance background.

B-Floor in Berlin
If you were wondering why you haven’t been able to find a performance by B-Floor Theatre, otherwise one of Thailand’s most prolific companies, in the past few weeks, wonder no more. It’s because three core members were all in Berlin, fully engaged in two aspects of Theatertreffen.
Performer, director and producer Sasapin “Pupe” Siriwanij was among the under-35-year-old theatre artists from 22 countries selected from a few hundred applicants to join the festival-long “International Forum”, which describes itself as “a creative research laboratory that endeavours to open up new knowledge and alternative spaces of communication.”
Apart from conducting brief workshops for one another, they attended workshops by international artists, watched theatre performances in and out of the festival as well as attended talks, forums and discussions throughout the festival. 
Looking back, Pupe says, “I learned more things than I can properly articulate at the moment. The most precious experience was to exchange with all these young, enthusiastic, self-motivated theatre professionals from so many different countries. Maybe because I'm fond of culture, I see many things through cultural perspectives. The participants were constantly in conversation and vocalising differing opinions, which made me see the level of interest in culture and in what kind of dialogue a culture melds with another. I also learnt again and again how very ignorant I – and indeed Thais in general – are of many other cultures around the world.
“I saw possibilities for making theatre as well as having discussions around theatre itself. It can take many forms, and I shouldn't be worried about things being too intellectual, too ‘strange’, or too new, because anything should be possible – and it already is, just not so much in Thailand,” she continues.
“For example, a discussion about a performance should strive to be faithful and honest and intellectual instead of being all about politeness and compliments. If someone initiates a workshop or programme, rather than tailoring it to the public, artists or art professionals should assert new intellectual/artistic ventures without holding back.”
Meanwhile, at the invitation of the Goethe Institut, B-Floor’s two co-founders Jarunan “Jaa” Phantachat and Teerawat “Ka-ge” Mulvilai were among the 10 Southeast Asian artists taking part in the International Co-production Fund’s platform for 10 days during Theatertreffen.
Jaa notes, “It’s a great opportunity for us to network with the artists from our region, who interestingly, we don’t get to meet while we’re in our region. Apart from participating in various activities of Theatertreffen, a theatre bookshop was our meeting venue for two days where we showed still and moving images of our works to one another and potential German collaborators and discussed possibilities for co-production.”
The latest Silpathorn performing artist adds, “From the works I watched, I really admire how public support – from federal, regional or city governments –allows German artists time to really engage in certain research topics they’re interested in. That’s totally different from us. We always have to rush from one production to another.
“Plus, I rediscovered the importance of music in performance. German artists are among the leaders in music theatre genre, of course, and that was evident in Schauspiel Leipzig’s ‘89/90’. As the title suggests, that focuses on a major transitional period for this country from the viewpoint of the former East Germany, which is different from that of the West which we’re more familiar with.”
“Five Easy Pieces” was Jaa’s favourite work and Pupe’s too. 
“This is a kind of subject matter no one discussed with me when I was that young,” she says.
In the post-show talk, I learned that the creators were aware of how they were making a piece that is constantly critiquing itself and I find that admirable and courageous in an artist,” Pupe adds.
Another two memorable works for Pupe were Konzert Theater Bern’s “The Extermination”, also in the Top 10 and whose production photo was the festival’s key image, and “Music for the Unstageable Theater”, an Egypt-Germany sound installation/performance supported by the Goethe Institut’s International Co-production Fund.
“I like the former’s braveness in presenting a script and characters that seem to have no relation whatsoever to the visual and physical actions on stage,” she explains.
“For the latter, kudos to the solo performer who’s graceful in all his movements and actions. It’s such a beautiful, clever and subtle way of addressing violence and oppression in a context where such criticism is practically forbidden. 
“I now believe now more than ever in international collaboration, and the meaning of both ‘international’ and ‘collaboration’ has tremendously expanded. I'm already initiating some collaborations with my International Forum colleagues, and this may take the form of a production, a training, or a conference.”
As for Jaa and Ka-ge, in addition to possible collaboration with Southeast Asian artists, Jaa says, “We met a German artist who started from dance and has now moved to interactive performance and that’s another possibility.” 
It’s evident here that Theatertreffen is much more than a showcase of contemporary German theatre. Thanks to the cooperation of many public and private agencies who share similar visions, it’s a meeting place for theatre artists, audiences and patrons from many corners of the world. And you don’t have to be fluent in the German language to enjoy it or benefit from its wide array of activities. 
Of course, having Currywurst for breakfast and downing the odd local beer are another advantage. 

The writer wishes to thank Vera Clemens, Gisela Lerdmaleewong, Caroline Philipp, Ariane Pauls, Ozlem Ela Cosen and Vincent Bozek for their assistance.
  PLENTY MORE TO READ
- More details on Theatertreffen are available in German and English at www.BerlinerFestspiele.de.
- To find out more about German dance and theatre today, visit www.Goethe.de/en/kul/tut.html
- For co-production funding opportunities, see www.KulturStiftung-des-bundes.org
- To find out what’s on stage in Berlin, go to www.Berlin-Buehnen.de/en