Theatre Should Reflect Like a Stone in a Mirror, According to Pompeyo Audivert
Pompety Audivert: The Visionary Actor, Director, and Playwright of Buenos Aires
protagonist of a buzzing phenomenon arrived at the epicenter of mainstream theater in Buenos Aires' "Calle Corrientes." It's called Room Macbeth, a radical reinterpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy, starring a single performer playing multiple roles in an unsettling and fragmented atmosphere. This production's expressive intensity and deep examination of identity make it stand out.
"I'm thrilled it's caught on as a public sensation, considering it's an independent project that's slowly evolved through years of incubation on the margins, and now it's accessible to a wider audience," Pompety Audivert shares with our Culture section at the start of an in-depth conversation where he discusses art and its role, the grim current state of affairs, and the possibilities for transcendence in a cultural landscape under siege by a toxic age.
Yet, Audivert isn't doing too badly, he admits. "What keeps me going is the reputation of the studio which attracts students and the success of the play is drawing in even more." This contrasts starkly with what he sees as "a quite sad economic and social situation" in Argentina.
But Audivert isn't just sitting on his laurels, as he's also presenting Oedipus in Ezeiza (Sundays in May at 8 pm, Teatro Hasta Trilce). This play blends myth and Argentine reality, transporting the Greek classic to an Argentine world overrun by authoritarianism, exile, and memory. For Audivert, "it's a sort of challenge to a 'living room theater,' and at the same time, it's a manifestation of what I believe theater should be: a stone thrown at the mirror. Theater serves as a fictionalized mirror to historical reality, throws a stone at it, and reveals that mysterious, hidden background that reality has."
"Is this topic of conversation during these times? Does the world seem worse, for generational, contextual reasons?"
"Yeah, it does. What we're going through is melancholic. I feel that technological advance, hyperconnectivity, and the dominance of screens have led to an imbalance in the human even in the artistic. Nowadays, collective subjectivity is molded by unseen, impersonal powers. The body has lost its main role, and the future is bleak, dystopian, without prospects. I believe we're in one of the worst moments in human history."
However, Audivert is having a creative renaissance with Room Macbeth in the heart of Corrientes. What does this achievement signify for him?
"It's significant in many ways. The work has moved from a fringe zone to a large-scale public level, and that warms my heart. I believe this language I've been nurturing for years deserves it. That it's being presented at the Metropolitan theater, which is opening its programming to experimental works, seems healthy for the theatrical ecosystem."
"Macbeth's Room originates from one of the most famous texts in history. Does your approach bridge the gap with the present?"
The initial aim was to take things to the extreme by creating a solo work, transforming my body into a habitat of multiple soulshares. During the pandemic, that idea resurfaced, and I knew I needed a universal work. Macbeth fit the bill, with its metaphysical themes and ties to the supernatural. I worked closely with the text, with a free, poetic adaptation that incorporated intertextualities of other authors I admire. I aimed to make the material resonate with my experience and perspective.
"The performance demands a considerable toll on your body. How do you feel following each show?"
"I usually end up exhausted but in an ecstatic state of fulfillment. It's extremely therapeutic. While on stage, my identity is suspended, and I enter a deep zone of self-awareness. To sustain it, I live a highly disciplined life: special diet, rest, restraint from partying, and self-cultivation."
And what about the transition from daily routine to the stage?
"I have a pre-show ritual. I live near the theater. On my way, I stop by a bar, have a coffee, and clear my mind. On Corrientes, I stop in front of the Obelisk, make a prayer or request: clarity, precision, freshness, and newness for that night. The entire process is symbolic, from the dressing room to the stretches, and the collaboration with musician Claudio Peña. That transition is crucial for me."
Regarding Oedipus in Ezeiza. What ideas did you want to express with the title? The term "Ezeiza" is emblematic of Argentine identity.
"It's a metaphysical comedy I write over a decade ago, envisioning specific actors. I wanted to create a representation of reality, break it, and reveal that mysterious hidden background that lives within us. I was intrigued by the idea of contrasting it with the 'living room theater,' which stays within the reflection. Oedipus in Ezeiza brings into question the theatricality of life, the fiction of identity, and even our perception of nationality, under suspicion that we are trapped within a fictionalized version of ourselves."
"Can you explore these transcendental issues through comedy?"
These profound issues, if addressed gravely, can become inaccessible. Comedy allows us to explore them with levity without sacrificing depth.
In May, Room Macbeth will be showcased at the following venues: Teatro Argentino de Mercedes (May 9th), Teatro Real de Córdoba (May 16th, 17th, and 18th), Teatro Coliseo Podaesta de La Plata (May 23rd), and Teatro Gran Rivadavia de Buenos Aires (May 30th). [Photos: Maximiliano Luna]
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- The single performer in Room Macbeth takes on multiple roles, creating an unsettling atmosphere that makes the production stand out.
- Pompety Audivert is excited about the public's response to Room Macbeth, despite its independent and slow-evolving roots.
- Audivert is also staging Oedipus in Ezeiza, a play that blends myth and Argentine reality.
- Audivert believes that theater should be a stone thrown at the mirror, revealing hidden aspects of reality.
- Audivert acknowledges the melancholic state of the world, but finds technological advance and hyperconnectivity to have led to an imbalance in the human.
- Collective subjectivity is being molded by unseen, impersonal powers, according to Audivert.
- The future is bleak, dystopian, and without prospects due to the dominance of screens.
- Room Macbeth moving from a fringe zone to the public level brings Audivert great joy.
- The language Audivert nurtured for years is deserving of the public stage, in his opinion.
- The initial aim for Room Macbeth was to create a solo work that transforms the body into a habitat of multiple soulshares.
- During the pandemic, the idea of a universal work resurfaced, and Macbeth seemed like the ideal fit.
- Audivert worked closely with the text, incorporating intertextualities from other authors he admires.
- The performance of Room Macbeth demands a considerable toll on Audivert's body, but he finds it extremely therapeutic.
- To sustain his deep zone of self-awareness during performances, Audivert lives a highly disciplined life.
- Audivert has a pre-show ritual, which includes stopping by a bar, clearing his mind, making a prayer, and collaborating with musician Claudio Peña.
- The transition from daily routine to the stage is crucial for Audivert.
- The term "Ezeiza" in Oedipus in Ezeiza represents specific ideas about Argentine identity.
- Oedipus in Ezeiza is a metaphysical comedy that brings into question the theatricality of life.
- Comedy allows Audivert to explore profound issues with levity without sacrificing depth.
- Room Macbeth will be showcased at several venues in May, including Teatro Argentino de Mercedes and Teatro Real de Córdoba.
- Javier Cercas, a Spanish novelist, has a new work that explores the mystery of artificial intelligence.
- Cercas' latest work delves into the intricacies of artificial intelligence, beyond its role as a sophisticated word corrector.
- Sophisticated word correction is just one small part of the vast capabilities of artificial intelligence.
- The implications of artificial intelligence extend far beyond the realm of writing and language.
- The understanding and mastery of artificial intelligence are essential for personal growth and career development in the 21st century.
