INTRO
Director: Leszek Bzdyl & Katarzyna Chmielewska
Choreography and performance: Katarzyna Chmielewska, Katarzyna Ustowska, Leszek Bzdyl, Piotr Stanek
Music, scenography, video: Nagrobki (Maciek Salamon, Adam Witkowski)
Costiums: Katarzyna Piątek
Light design: Michał Kołodziej
Premiere: 7.10.2015, Scena Malarnia - Teatr Wybrzeże, Gdańsk
Production: Teatr Wybrzeże, Gdańsk, Stowarzyszenie Teatr Dada von Bzdülöw przy wsparciu Urzędu Miasta Gdańska
PRESS:
Stan umysłu, teatralny.pl, Anna Jazgarska
Imigranci a sprawa polska, trójmiasto.pl, Łukasz Rudziński
Polish Dada, a w ustach posmak groteski zostanie, teatralia, Anna Kołodziejska
Śmiechem w ksenofoba, Aleksandra Lamek
“INTRO” by Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre, Anno Domini 2015, draws inspiration, recognition and nervous melancholy from the undying spirit of the Dada movement, which – as its Apostles used to say – was, is and will be. 99 years after the emanation of Dada in Zurich (AD 1916), accompanied by the scent of blood from the trenches of Verdun, national exultation, and the revelations of Fatima – Azazel or whatever he happens to be called by the Talmudists or the Islamists – debuted in Poland. Under the wings of Azazel, Poland has become a thesis, synthesis and antithesis at the same time. Under the authority of Azazel, there’s a growing conviction in a Pole that ONE means more than MANY.
Dada Theatre, inspired by the spirit of dada, is going to rip the veil off it, and reveal the deadly face of the Angel of Death; it’s going to laugh in the face of the Angel of Death. Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre in the play “INTRO”, both mockingly and desperately, shouts out: Dada is Polska!!! The shouting and dance of Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre is accompanied by a musical band Nagrobki /Gravestones/.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
“Intro” with absurd black humour, desacralizing it all, can do more than all reasonable discussions infested with scientific arguments together. A concoction of red and white symbols, sharp sounds of vuvuzelas, explosives, Polish Green-legged chickens, demonic Muslim women, all of that makes us find certain distance that the present reality seems to lack so much. Yet, it is a provocation for provocation, as dictates uninhibited by anything imagination of dadaists. Because first and foremost “Intro” is a challenge, faced by all our myths.
Anna Jazgarska, Teatralny pl
“Intro” is not a lightweight performance, easy and enjoyable. It entices with dance attraction and originality in choreographic exploration of expression, but leaves the viewer many a times in a dark alley, where you can’t know whether still laugh or already start being serious. It enters into a discussion on national identity, and shows how little space for freedom remains, when xenophobia comes along with total disengagement, mistakenly defined as tolerance. Can “Intro” thus, with its ironic and grotesque message, take a stand in this difficult and uncomfortable social discourse? Further than the wall we cannot go, but the plaster may start chipping off.
Anna Kołodziejska, Teatralia
Absurd and mocking humour is one of the greatest values of the performance. Thanks to it, this national paranoia, according to which diversity should be turned into uniformity, stops to seem so overwhelming and dangerous. (…) In this wicked and pawky show also music plays a major role, as it used in Dada’s productions – this time created by a group called Nagrobki /Gravestones/, so Adam Witkowski and Maciek Solomon. Full of punk energy, with dirty guitar and drums, this music adds aggressiveness to collective dance scenes, while lyrics like “Thank you, Mom, for the gift of life, the next time you might ask,” only remind us that nothing happens here in earnest. Because why should it? It’s still Dada von Bzdülöw.
Aleksandra Lamek, Gazeta Wyborcza, Trójmiasto
It often happens that a contemporary dance performance finds it difficult to get the message across, however, in the case of “Intro”, we are dealing with being rather overly communicative. I hope that the “Intro” is an introduction not only to a grand celebration of the 100th anniversary of Dada, but will inspire others as well. I really hope that the show so excellently performed by Leszek Bzdyl’s crew will resonate around.
Piotr Wyszomirski, Gazeta Świętojańska
We have here some finest dance, sense of humour and omnipresent irony. In one of the scenes played by Chmielewska, a Croat character standing in the spotlight in front of the microphone, with a pulled face so tense with excitement, ready for an expose of perhaps historical significance, suddenly… walks away; without a word; the balloon of emotions bursts out; but what a bang! Gabriela Pewińska, Polska Dziennik Bałtycki