The Hippodrome State Theatre will host two weeks of international performances throughout the end of October and early November starting today. The performances will include world-traveling actors from the Workcenter of Jerzy Growtowski and Thomas Richards. But here’s the kicker: The actors will not have microphones, lights or even a set to perform with. They will showcase the revolutionary method of Jerzy Growtowski, a 20th-century Polish dramatic theorist. Growtowski’s method breaks boundaries between actor and audiences, creating an atmosphere that transforms audience from watchers into doers.
The performances planned are highly structured and definitive. Each performance has a flow that is constantly changing and adapting each time they are performed. The tone of each day’s performance depends on what the actors are feeling. Their emotions make up a large part of emotion portrayed in a given performance. These events are meant to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. How did this come to be?
About two and a half years ago, the Hippodrome faced the threat of closing its doors forever, said Michael Littig, a Hippodrome company member and coordinator of this two-week international residency. He found a solution to make sure the Gainesville institution stayed open.
Letig said he asked the question, “How can everyone in the community feel welcome?” and wanted the Hippodrome to be the home of the community. Littig requested a grant to support international performances at the Hippodrome, the National Endowment for the Arts approved it and now the Workcenter’s performances will round off the past two years of international spectacle and give people of the community, including students, the chance to experience a truly moving performance with others from different backgrounds. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
The performances planned for the next two weeks are open and free to the public. The audience will have a chance to be part of each day’s performances, and no prior knowledge is required in order to participate. This gives each performance a unique flow as it adapts to the environment it is being performed in.
Each actor is accommodated for his or her work and needs, including residency, through the NEA’s grant. The actors chosen to perform have been with the Workcenter for years, ranging from at least two to as many as 15, and are still thriving.
There will be six performances in the upcoming weeks, starting with today’s event, The Open Program Studio. Here, an international theatre company will sing and dance, and attendees are encouraged to participate and interact with the performers. Tickets to the events are free, and more information can be found at thehipp.org.
