Битеф

Ijudima u duševnim bolnicama (»Situacije«) , о životu u zatvoru (»Zločin«)> о životu u domu staraca (Suton«), о dečjem obdaništu (»Ne kod kuće«). Za razliku od političkog pozorišta, Werkteater se ne bavi društveno-političkim zbivanjima, več prikazuje Ijudsku stranu stvari, slikajući Ijudsku patnju, tako da se gledaoci cesto prepoznaju u likovima sa pozornice. Het Werkteater raspravlja о temama iz realnog života. Gledaocima je prepušteno da sami pronađu način da poprave društvo. U ovom trenutku kod njih se zapaža nova tendencija: manje se bave određenim društvenim nedaćama već opštim odnosima među Ijudima. Posle šest godina rada i kolektivne odgovornosti, Het Werkteater je stekao veliku porodicu, koja je suočena sa raznim pritiscima i nesuglasicama. Možda će jednog dana krenuti drugim putem. Ali, ma šta se dogodilo, stav i način rada Het Werkteatra uvek ce predstavljati кар ulja koja se siri na vodi.

[Jac Heyer]

A BIG FAMILY

“Magazijn", march 1976. When I'm present at performance given by het Werkteater, I always have the feeling that it is being played exclusively for me. The actors display emotions which could be my very own (like rage, humour, sentiment). They portray people, whom i would like to mix with; if I were to meet them in private, I believe they would not act differently. They have won my heart. I am jealous, realizing that there is an audience who feels the same way about it as I do. Het Werkteater is a real actor’s group and it is not to be equalled as far as I know in Holland, nor in any other country in the world. There is no author, no director, who is their leader, neither do they follow an ideology, nor any theatre-principles. It is not only different from repertory companies, it differs too from new groups, called, Sater, De Appel, Onafhankelijk Toneel and Camera Obscura. Werkteater’s ways and means are totally different compared to the aforesaid groups. However one cannot blame het Werkteater, at least not for the time being. Because every actor adds a new experience to each performance. The basis of the group is the joy they have in their own acting. Seeing that the group is a co-operative society without a director, avery one of its members has an equal chance to act. That’s the reason why most of their performances have no leadingparts nor an ordinary dramatic development. When performing serious scenes they keep a frank and free way of acting, a charm which children possess when playing.

This openmindedness gives great possibilities to the actors, explaining why they are becoming the most demanded actors of our country.

Het Werkteater is a typical phenomenon of movements of the sixties, when a young generation revolted against a conventionridden line of conduct. Most of the actors, after heving finished their studies at the school of Dramatic Arts, have had some experience in the drama management of this country. Performing already existing plays under the firm direction of a producen became an almost traumatic experience for them. At the end of the year 1969 they met and decided to form a group. In January 1970 they had given concrete form to their plans, they were subsidized by the government after half a year. A point in their program is to develop acting by means of allround training in singing, actrobatics etc. They improvise on subjects of their own choice. They shun playhouses and the ordinary playgoing public, they have their own audience, which they know are interested in the selacted themes. In summertime they go out into the street to perform in a tent. A new sort of audience i dawn, which increasesin numbers, regardless of the subject. The group selects subjects clos at hand, arising from situations near by. Impersonating people, who do not appear; to full advantage, because of their being captive one way or another in a system imposed on them by society. Het Werkteater performed productions about women’s emancipation; (“It is onlya girl"), about people in a mental home (“Situations”), about life in jail (“Crime”), about life in a home for aged persons (“Twilight“), about life in a children’s home (“Not at Home"). Unlike a political theatre, which states political-social structures, het Werkteater shows us the humen side of things. It portrays human suffering. Optimum recognition is possible. Het Werkteater discusses subjects out of real life. The audience itself has to find a method to renew the system. There is another tendency going on at the moment. Less specific social wrongs, but more about general relationshipe between people. For example a project about office’s clerks, two more recent about dying. After six years of work and collective responsibility het Werkteater has become a big family, facing up to stress and disagreements. Perhaps they’ll go different ways one day. But whatever happens the attitude and way of working of het Werkteater will expand like a drop of oil on water.

[Jac Heyer]