Family Stories

Family Stories is the last part of the Trilogy of the War, we delve deeply into one of the bloodiest European conflicts that have taken place since the Second World War, namely, that which dismantled Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Family Stories adapted from the Serbian playwright, Biljana Srbljanovic, describes the confused state of affairs in which her contry were thrust, to address the theme of childhood in a violent scenario.
Amid the ruins of war-devastated Yugoslavia, four characters play a game, pretending to be a family, reproducing the delirious behaviour of disoriented adults. Little by little, the logic of war is revealed, created and maintained by the political power manifested at every level of society. The violence of the game substitutes the real violence of combat, and, in this ritual, the image of the political climate, the tension among them all, are extreme.

In order to speak of a society saturated with hate, where violence and perversity have become reflections of survival, Biljana Srbljanovic chose derision and the absurd. The authoress invites us to see the war in a playful light, and the theatre as the place where adults continue to do what children do: create a game. We engage in a dialogue with Biljana Brbljanovic's script, taking our visions into account our queries and our Trilogy of War, confronting theatre with reality. These Family Stories are, at the same time, an image of the predicament of the former Yugoslavia, and, also, an image of any society.

GALLERY

CAST AND CREATIVE

Texto Biljana Brbljanovic
Direção e Adaptação Ana Teixeira e Stephane Brodt.
Tradução Ana Teixeira e Jadrana Andjelic
Elenco
- Vojin Stephane Brodt
- Milena Rosana Barros
- Nadejda Vanessa Dias
- Andria Bruce Araújo
Iluminação Renato Machado
Figurino e objetos Stephane Brodt
Cenário Ana Teixeira
Confecção da lousa e piso Manoel Puoci
Projeto gráfico Paulo Lima
Produção Erick Ferraz

TEXTS

WAR TRILOGY

The War Trilogy is a trajectory that began in 2006 in the  ECUM - Encontro Mundial das Artes Cênicas (World Scenic Arts Meeting), an international forum that gathers artists, researchers and scenic arts professionals in reflection about Theatre in Times of War.

What is the role of theatre in the face of suffering and violence? 
How does theatre respond to the challenges and questioning of contemporary society?
How has this society influenced the creation and pursuit of new languages? Artists from different parts of the world shared their works and experiences. Different histories, cultures and works have pointed to a theater that can witness, act in solidarity and rebel against brutality.

These meetings have had repercussions for Amok's trajectory. We began research on the theme of war that resulted in the creation of the plays: O Dragão[The Dragon] (2008), Kabul (2009) and Histórias de Família [Family Stories](2012).

In this trilogy, we present three independent plays, three different portrayals of war, three different scenic language experiences. We have sought to interrogate reality through characters, breaking the media's view from a distance and that of the specialists, stirring up public emotion. It’s a way of reflecting on our times that only theatre can propose. Beyond  the geographical or cultural frontiers, we come across universal questions. In this project, the play, the debate and the encounter with the public are indissociable. 

We wanted to approach the theme of war from the aspect of otherness, an encounter with the "other", that which is different. We do not address the specific questions of our own historical and cultural identity, but we wish to confront the world in search of a human identity, without frontiers. What is in focus is Man in the face of the violence of our time. 

This outlook abroad responds to the challenges and questions raised by globalisation, where migration, minorities, individualism, consumer culture and attempts at hegemony are effective realities.

War Trilogy has a commitment to memory, to the art that persists in not forgetting. With this project we wish to engage in dialogue about our times and act on the perception of what we are and the world in which we live.
Ana Teixeira

CATALOGUE

The book War Trilogy offers images of the shows The Dragon, Kabul and Family Stories through the eyes of six photographers who have witnessed this artistic trajectory of the Amok Theater throughout Brazil.

In this project, shows, debates and meetings with the public were inseparable. For this reason, we invited artists, critics and researchers with whom we share our questions along this path to contribute with articles that will enrich the reflection about the relations between Theater and Reality.

This book reflects the theater we are looking for: a place of meetings, of cultures confluence, of visions, frictions, conviviality and memory.

Photos:
Andrea Teixeira (SP) 
Fernanda Ramos  (RJ) 
Jr. Panela (CE)
Mateo Tiburi(RJ)
Netum Lima  (MG) 
Rafael Saes   (PR)

Texts:                 
Amok Teatro
Barbara Heliodora (Brazil)

O Teatro e o mundo: sobre os teatros ditos documentários 
Beatrice Picon-Vallin  (França)

Um teatro diante de seu tempo 
Jadranka Andjelic    (Sérvia)

A impressão sensível
Jean-François Dussigne   (França)

Os operários da alegria
Maryam Khakipour   (Irã)

Editor: Amok Teatro
Translation: Fátima Saadi
Graphic Design : Paulo Barbosa Lima
Review: Mirna Juliana
Athalaia Gráfica e Editora, Brasília, DF (2012).