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The Season
Editorial 2009-10
As imperfect as a man may be, when he gives what he has to give, this is a great deal for another man when the latter takes what he wants. What a man gives is a great deal when a man who wants it, takes it all.
Dimitris Dimitriàdis
The moment has come to put the apocalypse behind us, to accept in this day and age, that no longer accepts hesitation as a possibility, that from melancholy, action can erupt. Leaving the apocalypse behind means accepting the fact that time as it unfurls, is drawn up, nowhere but in our collective myths, it means wishing to turn our nostalgia for the past into a vibrant force for the present. From this point on, we can think the revolution as a state of un-tranquility, something like an errant joy where the dread of freedom is offered us as an unalienable force. Is it too much to ask this young generation to continue believing in the meaning of its actions and to stop despairing and instead, affirm it, loud and clear? Yes, theater will not allow itself to become discouraged by the crumbling of our political forces. On the contrary, theater believes that truth can be found in that which is fragile and unstable, in the foam floating on the surface of the sea rather than in our rocks and boulders, in the clouds above our heads rather than the hard earth below. A theater that reminds us that there are many more of us than we believe, who love the present.
Our home, like other homes, is one that brings all diversity together and that allows us to share in the desire of meaning. We realize, with the simple joy of craftsmen, who are proud of hard work that has been rewarded, that we were not entirely wrong when we insisted on having a "theater of necessity." And we all feel a profound need to test and to question that essential matter, that vital thing that flows through all of our societies: Ideas. The vehicle of the voice, which is at the heart of our craft, allows us, the spectators, to be in a position where we can listen, a position that has broken off from the old notion of passive reception. The heterogeneous flock that makes up a gathering of theatergoers, is indeed very much alive, active, and has an impact both on itself, the audience, and the "transmitter", which is the stage. This agreement, this common accord, in every sense of the term and that gives flesh to ideas and creates a bond between actors and audience, transforming both in the process, is the ferment of intelligence.
Is intelligence today, necessarily tragic ? Not sad in any case, nor sinister and morbid. On the contrary: it is sharp, putting everything at stake, ready to go ever further in the exploration of the contradictory passions of the soul and the historical period. This intelligence, which struggles, joyful and without illusions, forging a path against all fatality, turning and running every which way in the crazed circle of History, is and has always been, a shared, collective intelligence.
In the days of Sophocles, the wealthiest citizens financed the plays, while the audience was paid for its participation. Culture as a public and civic project, the utopian and concrete aspiration to an equal access for all to the works of the mind, happiness as necessity for justice: here, and alongside you, the audience, we believe in this, perhaps now more than ever.
The Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe has shown, thanks to you, the audience, just how powerful an idea this can be. With our two venues, we have unfurled our banner, our aura is afloat, and we have secured a major place in the European theatrical landscape, and more generally, in its vibrant intellectual life. We have accepted the challenge of offering many more, and more diverse plays and shows, more seats and more performances and encounters outside our habitual theatrical programming. The challenge has largely been met. A relation of confidence has been established and has been deepened, between the theater and its audience.
And now? And tomorrow? This new season is placed under the signs (which are not contradictory and perhaps even indispensably complementary !), of romanticism and politics, of intimate consciousness as a general commitment. Different historical periods overlap, the extremes of today's contemporary shall be delved into, important, immense voices will be heard, great European performances will be born and others gathered together. And finally, and always, the poet will be at the center. From Sophocles to the lofty and secret, demanding and noble voice of an author who has been translated into all of the languages of the continent and is yet still little known in France: Dimitris Dimitriadis. We have the great pleasure of welcoming three of his plays, amongst them two original creations. This, so that we may be able to dream, invent with utmost seriousness, but with an enthusiastic impulse, this land that belongs to all of us : the poem.
At the same time, our program "Present Continuous",will punctuate the season with regular and enlightened events, exceptional moments that will once again, brilliantly illustrate the central place that the Odeon theater occupies in our intellectual geography. Luis Sepulveda, Ohran Pamuk, philosophical crossings with Wolf Lepenies, Giorgio Agamben or Slavoj Zizek, will be there to confirm all of this. Throughout the season, round table debates and discussions around Italy or Turkey have already been planned, as well as a few wonderful surprises.
"Art is long, time is short", says the poet. But the essence of theater is such that it must go quickly – without hurrying. It is the art of the present moment, the fleetingness of time itself, and in this sense, the intimate foodstuff of our memories. Between long and brief moments, the theater season constitutes a unique tempo that forces art and time, to harmonize, one picking up its pace and the other slowing its pace down. What will this upcoming season look like? It will resemble the plurality of identities that is the Odeon Theater itself, something pretty close to the idea that we have of today's Europe. But once again, it is to you, and only through you, that this face of multiple facets, will be unveiled.
Olivier Py