theatercombinat | 22.04. - 04.05 2008 phèdre racine/seneca – a radical exposure of french classicism, maison de faubourg, geneva, coproduction with GRÜ/théâtre du grütli (ch)

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racine (1677) in the ring, seneca (50) in space – absolutism and the end of the roman republic. a boxing ring is the venue for the conflicts between state, territory, body, liberty and love. absolute proportion of racine's language versus disproportion of the bodies: all actors – except for one – are over 60 years of age. they act in the nude. histories of life and theatre.

classical french theatre displays absolute monarchy by way of spatialisation, order of the gaze, and most of all by its control of language and speech by the alexandrine. body-language collides with performance of the speech. in this production of "phèdre" the classical unity of time, space and action is used as dispositif of contemporary performance art.

concept/space/direction: claudia bosse, phèdre: frédéric leidgens, hippolyte: serge martin, thésée: armand deladoëy, oenone/aricie: véronique alain, théramène/panope/ismène/ quotes of seneca: marie-eve mathey doret, production/ assistance: gaël grivet, dramaturgical research/direction assistance: andreas gölles, lights: jean-michel broillet, martial arts training: daniel chardonnens, dance baroque: dora kiss, boxtraining: virginie van de putte, tango: mariella casabonne-bach, yoga: sandra piretti.

salle du faubourg, geneva, premiere: 22.4.2008,
12 presentations

supported by the city of geneva (département de l’instruction publique), loterie romande, fondation leenaards, fondation ernst göhner and austrian cultural forum.

coproduction GRÜ/théâtre du grütli, association genèveberlin, theatercombinat

around a boxing ring groups of spectators are assembled observing each other from 3 different perspectives, following the progression of the racinian tragedy. this space is crossed by the actors, choreographed, marked by fragments of seneca´s "phaedra".

the physical material ranges from performative presences, bodies deformed by speech, baroque dance with its rigid and androgynous body image to boxing. the bodies tumble into different disciplines and modes of representation, tearing open their skin by speech.

juggling with varying modes of production and spatial regimes opens the space for the spectator to witness the production of speech, relations and body surfaces, at the same time being visible and present with his or her body and habitus.