Dustpan Odyssey

Odyssey chronicle

By Mirela Buhus

“We have to get away from the way we picture it, which is typically what object theatre makes possible.” Philippe Genty

When obsession finds its relief in the act of creation, when the music offers solace even to the most unanimated objects, at this turning point the genius is revealed.  The genius of Philippe Genty and actors like: Marzia Gambardella, Scott Koehler, Simon T. Rann bring honor to this kind of theater – the Animation/ Object Theater.

… And to think that it all started because of Philippe’s father death, according to Simon Rann. Unshed tears and remorse lead to inexplicable dreams which in turn lead to Freud, which eventually lead to theater. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Cause what else if not theater allows you to face and deal with your most inner depths; let’s not call them demons, yet!

Not to mention the connection with the Spanish Golden Age recurrent theme “Life Is a Dream” (Spanish: “La vida es sueño”) by  Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

Short long story: Petite Philippe was only 4 years old when his father died in a ski accident and in order to escape the stigmata of blaming himself, he started a very rough journey which from a psychiatric hospital took him directly to a worldwide tour in order to do a documentary about puppets, subject which he didn’t study up to that date! But he took a chance and went to UNESCO with his documentary project and so he received the necessary funds that helped him do the world tour by car.

After this he really started focusing on theater and puppets became a key element in all his shows because “It’s easier to work with puppets than with human beings!”

I do apologize for this long introduction as it regards the show “Dustpan Odyssey” but I felt it was mandatory in order to see the big picture and understand some symbols within the show.

I had the incredible chance to see the “Dustpan Odyssey” in this 2014 year’s 10th Edition of the ”International Festival of Animation Theater” at ȚĂNDĂRICĂ Theater Bucharest.

A modern and vivid representation of the antic odyssey based on the story of Ulysses.

Animated objects and more than animated actors, ingenious means of performing a Greek tragedy with all sorts of domestic objects like: colander, grater, corkscrew, barrel, candies and so forth.

The roles are switched amongst the three actors with such delicacy that it’s a delight to follow them, and this way they all get to play the main character – Ulysses; every actor’s dream!

And while the storm comes from a tea-cup, the Cyclops are barrels or the barrels are Cyclopes, have it your way; the sailors are the Christmas tree bonbons; a big juicy cabbage becomes a goddess, and last but not least the indestructible ship of Ulysses is formed from a broom and a dustpan, quite solid ones!

You wouldn’t think for a second that these objects have ever been used for something else than they are actually being used for, or that they have any other purposes in the real world. The genuine acting it’s so powerful and the solutions that they’ve found are so great that it instantly transforms you into a witness of the odyssey. And the actual melting of the Penelope because of her husband’s absence it’s heartwarming and breath-taking.

The impeccable language skills of the actors: English – French – Romanian, break any kind of social barriers that might exist.

I refuse to be a spoiler! I’m rather more of a storyteller, and I see the story behind the show and the one off-stage, so don’t expect me to write down Ulyssey’s story cause I won’t.

Moreover, I understood that Philippe’s credo is the fact that each and every single spectator should have his own story when watching one of his shows, such a healthy artistic belief… not to have the arrogance that one has got the supreme artistic truth! In a world where our values have been so tainted, twisted and upside-downed, it’s magnificent to still believe and promote the fact that everybody is entitled to his own story.

It’s this kind of artistic innocence and approach towards theater that we need in order to be artistically resurrected.

Ah! Quels acteurs… Chapeau Bas!