faust in the box / english version:
”... Bridge Markland has done a remarkable job of maintaining this tension in her adaptation and ensuring that audience members of all ages will be able to connect to at least some – and in many cases most – of the popular songs she weaves into her adaptation, whether they are more familiar with the linguistic-cultural knowledge of an English-speaking context, a German-speaking one, or both.
“faust in the Box” illustrates in a fresh way that “culture”, contrary to common belief, is not to be found inside individuals; rather, this piece demonstrates how individuals interact with cultural meanings and negotiate positions in relation to them. “Faust in the box” invites audience members to position themselves in multiple ways in relation to Faust and the popular music Markland has selected to stand in for Goethe’s text. This new cultural artifact - in fact a collage of cultural artifacts - stimulates viewers to make connections and discover tensions between high and low culture, as well as across generations and cultural contexts. Rather than universalizing human experience or presenting an image of two distinct, homogenous cultures, Bridge Markland expertly highlights the cultural borrowings between the German- and English-speaking realms and skillfully maintains the particularity of cultural artifacts that come from each of these cultural traditions. This piece also demonstrates that intermediality is a tool with which we can unsettle simplistic notions of culture and selfhood.”
Allison G. Cattell and Belinda Kleinhans, University of Waterloo, Canada, April 19th 2012
”...Bridge Markland is a brilliant performance artist whose work often intentionally blends and blurs the lines between perceived gender roles and stereotypes. ...
I admired how she was so unafraid, so unabashed to be who she was, what she saw the human soul as, pushed the boundaries of what people were trained to see as male and female. ...
The fluidity I think is what caught me the most. Markland is a master of many faces and switches between them without the slightest hitch, playing first a disheartened scholar, then a mischievous devil, then a sweet naive girl. My mind was pulled into a show and if I noticed that Gretchen was now a human, and suddenly now again a puppet, my mind was too busy watching to let me dwell upon it. Not only the fluidity between the characters but also the genders was inspiring to see. Her costume, hair and facepaint gave no indication or nod to either side but instead lay reminiscent of kabuki theater ...
Her performance and subsequent research into her person and character inspired me to question myself and my own being, to attempt to break away from all the “shoulds” in my life. She’s taken all these years of art and experience and assimilated them into various styles and shades of performance to push our mental boundaries and question who honestly has the right to tell us who we should be.”
Kait Nurrenberg, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, USA, November 2011
”The level of detail that you are paying attention to, the intricate timing that you have down so clearly, the weaving together of serious classic literature with wacky overlays from modern culture is brilliant. Very skillful and intelligent.”
Rebecca Haseltine, artist and body learning practitioner, San Francisco
”I want to see all of Shakespeares plays done like that!”
Ben Knight, “My English Class” theatre company, Berlin
"... This show is like stepping back in time to a world when the artist must dare to devote every part of oneself to their craft and push the limits of what is 'popular'... the physical skills and unbelievable lip-syncing is truly a joy to behold..."
AM / UK
"This is like no other Faust I have ever seen before... I ...highly recommend it! It's a performance that you'll never forget and gives one an exciting insight into the possibilities of contemporising a classic piece! I thoroughly enjoyed B Marklands performance and thought she did incredibly well to hold the audiences attention for an hour by her self... and of course the puppets! Recommended!"
Eliza / Australia
”...faust in the box is revolutionary! Bridge Marklands performance in her one woman (and many puppets) show, really holds her own and captivates the audience. ...”
George / UK
„...you have a wonderfully expressive face and an AMAZING expressive range. That was my first taste of Faust: thank you.“
John Tillson / UK
"I enjoyed, what at first seems like a gimmick really grows on you
and of course you are so facially malleable and witty, thank you!"
Donald Hutera / Journalist / London
”I saw your performance of Faust in Edinburgh and found it one of the most interesting and enjoyable performances of the play I have seen to date. As I'm sure you well know, doing anything in a manner that is unexpected or breaks from the normality in anyway is likely to incur criticism and be accused of pretenciousness and/or shock value, but your performance avoided these pit-falls with ease and grace and left a piece that was both classically beautiful, yet also bold and adventurous. The use of music and recorded sound was inspired.
Thank you for the effort it must have taken to polish the piece, and thank you for bringing it to the UK.”
Richard Absalom / UK
faust in the box ( German):
"faust in the box was a really fascinating and interesting way to see Goethe's Faust performed. Having read parts of Faust in a German class, Bridge’s performance brought a whole new face and life to Mephisto, Margaretha and Faust. Even the puppets had complex and convincing personalities. The incorporation of contemporary, recognizable music was a brilliantly hip way to tie in the emotions of the past with how we express ourselves today..."
Robert Mevissen, student at Saint John’s University of Minnesota, USA
”I don’t speak German, but your play is like watching the opera.”
Marc Bautch, Visual Artist, Minneapolis, USA
”That was cool!”
”Thank you for the catchy tunes (Ohrwürmer)!”
2 students of Freiherr vom Stein Gymnasium, Berlin Spandau
”I was very impressed by this interpretation. The last scene is full of emotion and incredibly meaningful. (Margaret in prison). My opinion is; I have never have seen such a good interpretation of the Faust play. Grotesque theatre reduced to the minimum, up to date and fresh. Bridge Markland’s miming talents are amazing. She can really play the devil so that you are tempted and want to vomit at the same time. Fausts dull-wittedness and naivety and Margaret’s delicate vulnerability, paired with curiosity and lust for life. An extraordinary theatre experience.“
Viola Voigt, costume designer, Berlin Prenzlauerberg
“Faust on the dot.“
Inka-Charlotte Palm, English Theatre Berlin
let's talk about sex:
The show was VERY GOOD!! I enjoyed it very, very much.
You are really charming and I like how you break through barriers with the viewers.
Very bold and your self confindence is inspiring.
I felt great after seeing it. I had to stomp my feet on the floor for you.
Thanks for such a good experience!
Mike Zimmerman, visual artist + translator
Bridge Markland 25 years on stage - May 2010
bridgeland zwei:
"Congratulations on your 25 years of wonderful performance - and for a brilliant show tonight!
As ever, aesthetic, poetic, idea, erotic, movement, - and more! Theater pur.
xxx with admiration !! Unknown audience member, Berlin
"So funny!" Angelina Sick, Burlesque Dancer, Berlin