Kabale der Scheinheiligen (video) - Annotation
This post discusses a video document:
DIE KABALE DER SCHEINHEILIGEN. DAS LEBEN DES HERRN DE MOLIÈRE.
Dir. Frank Castorf. Festival D'Avignon, n.d. Web. 30 July 2017.
http://www.festival-avignon.com/fr/spectacles/2017/die-kabale-der-scheinheiligen-das-leben-des-herrn-de-moliere
Die Kabale der Scheinheiligen is a play originally by the Russian writer Bulgakow. This adaptation was directed by the German Frank Castorf. The performance was also part of the Festival d’Avignon. The video shows actors embodying several recognizable artists, such as Moliere, and how the production used digital means in their production. It also shows the elaborate set design and costumes used. In the production, Castorf gives a final tribute to several artists including himself as they are shutting down a theatre (Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz) which brought up so many professional artists in Germany. Therefore, he discusses and questions the role of the artist and their value in today’s society. He also discusses media in today’s society and how it affects artists when it has no boundaries and censorship is unseen. He does so by including this in the structure and set design of the production. The use of digital media was an intentional and purposeful tool to allow the audience and show them through this structure of the possible effects of media in the digital age. This also speaks about another key element of Postdramatic Theatre which is the use of the digitalized image.
