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  • Vote for “Weiße Magie” / White magic”


    This production contrasts magic phenomena from the black continent with the technical phenomena of industrial countries. Each is as difficult to grasp as the other. Gotta Depri, an artist from the Ivory Coast, a distant, comparatively unknown nation, confronts the three actors from MOKS with both his and their outlook on life. “I live this and I live this. At the same time. There are two sides to me. One of them is in 1712 and the other 2012. And this side is now 2012. On this side are the ceremonies, the taboos and the traditions. The other side is paying for a flight with a credit card on the Internet.”

    What influence does our idea of magic have on our social and political relationships? Both sides are partners on the stage. They react to one another, come closer in dance and play and attempt to overcome language barriers. Depri speaks French. The actors try to translate and the audience is invited to help them in their task.

    This dance show has not been fixed down to the last detail but varies according to the immediate interaction between life and theatre, between the actors themselves, and the actors and the audience. The dialogue has not been learnt by heart. There is no story in the conventional sense of the word, and it’s not even pure dance theatre. Sometimes the audience feels it has been caught out, at other times it is emotionally moved, confirmed in its opinions, or filled with fear. Each performance is different and cannot be predicted in advance. It might come up against  boundaries and might even go beyond them. In many countries there is an unspoken mystical level to conflicts. Once they have been alleged and given voice to, rumours and things become true. Depri challenges the audience in a ritual. What are they prepared to sacrifice to make a spoken wish come true? What are YOU prepared to sacrifice? An uneasy atmosphere begins to spread throughout the theatre and you can feel the insecurity amongst the audience. But none of us really believes in magic, do we?

    Alexandra Luise Gesch