“The Bench” is one of the exercises that teach improvisation. The actors stage short études themselves and make up anecdotes on the spot. The improvised scenes are performed in pairs, which are changed dynamically. Inspiration may come from the last word spoken during the performance, a gesture, or a reaction from the audience.
The scenes, presented in the conventions of burlesque and cabaret, entertained the audience wonderfully. When a child of one of the spectators entered the stage, where a pair of young actors was performing, the actor immediately reacted to the situation with a question. “Is this my child? Do you want to convince me that this is my child?!” he asked his partner, who took up the subject and replied: “I’ve wanted to confess this to you for a long time… And now, now it’s no longer important, I’ve had enough of you, it’s over.” The actor immersed himself in the role of the father and, addressing the child, said: “Son, what’s your name? It’s me, your dad—I didn’t know anything about this either.” In this way, he also commented on the surprise on the face of the little accidental actor.
The freshness and authenticity of the young actors from Zielona Góra, as well as their creative passion, enchanted the audience that came to Concordia for the performance. The energetic group of twelve workshop participants, aspiring theatre artists from Zielona Góra, came to Bolesławiec with their instructor, Mariusz Laudański. Mariusz wanted to show the young people his city and community, and introduce them to their parents.
His friendship with the young actors began recently. Actress Olga Paczkowska, who led theatre workshops with “Proforma”, was leaving Zielona Góra and proposed Mariusz as her replacement to lead the classes. The Bolesławiec resident had been working with young people since June at the Animation Institute in the so-called Anthill in Zielona Góra. They grew close and, at the end of the school year, presented their skills to an audience from their new instructor’s hometown.
The sixteen workshop participants, aged 14 to 17, are interested in theatre, and some of them are considering acting careers. The greatest strength and value of this group are their interesting personalities and their great willingness to work and practise. When they could not meet with their instructor, they organised classes themselves on the promenade in the centre of Zielona Góra and came up with études for “The Bench”.
Gracjan Majchrzak and Monika Stanek, the pair who brilliantly portrayed a married couple at odds with each other on stage, want to become professional actors. Asked how they create and devise their études, they replied that what matters most to them is that the viewer has fun and spends a pleasant time. In the scenes they improvise, they tackle life and serious problems that affect them at home, at school and in relationships with other people. By having fun and acting, they gain distance from more serious problems and turn them into jokes. “We make serious things look ridiculous,” they said in the interview. Some of the études showed, in a humorous way, overprotective parents who did not understand their teenage children. A possessive mother improvised by one of the young actresses shouted at her daughter:
– Tell me that you drank, admit it, there’s no point fooling ourselves!
– Mum – the attacked teenager replied – Coca-Cola isn’t a sin yet…
Wishing the “Proforma” group much success and thanking them for the great entertainment, we warmly invite them to Bolesławiec for more performances.
(information: Grażyna Hanaf)