I couldn't be more disappointed that I have to miss Romeo Castellucci's Hey Girl!, which is playing at the Festival TransAmeriques in Montréal through June 3. Check out the video clip on the FTA site. More photos here. I had the great opportunity of catching Castellucci's Tragedia Endogonidia #11 at Montclair State University in October 2005. Never have I been so unnerved and stimulated and bewildered and irrationally frightened at a theater event. Just creepy tableaux, lights and sounds, but man, Castellucci's vision is vast and tragic and gorgeously inscrutable.
In this week's Village Voice, Tom Sellar outlines an all-too-accurate critique of how inadequate NYC presenters are when it comes to bringing us the cream of the international crop, especially challenging, director-driven work. And recently, George Hunka has written eloquently about the need to cross-pollinate and internationalize our theatrical reading and seeing.
Meanwhile, those of us with time and money can fly around the world for our own edification. Guess I could catch Hey Girl! in July at the Avignon Festival...
UPDATE: I have it on good authority that I may not have to travel quite so far to see Hey Girl!—early next year.
As someone who has been dedicated to bringing new plays from contemporary playwrights from around the world to the NY theatre community, I greatly appreciate your endorsement of expanding our awareness and appreciation of international drama. I'm glad The Play Co. was recognized at the OBIEs, but as Kate and I have discussed in the past, it's a big world out there and there is a wealth of material categorically being ignored. It's good to know that the topic is being raised, by people like Tom and George, and I hope it results in greater attendance by both audience and press.
Posted by: Doug | May 26, 2007 at 10:38 AM