one woman zapping biographies performance
90 min. plus one intermission
Languages: German / English
"Wissi the great" in German / English / Russian
In this production Bridge Markland throws a subjective eye onto the lives of various personalities, zaps through their biographies and throws them all "in the box".
- Valeska Gert: grotesque dancer, cabaret performer, actress, in the 1920’s until 1978. = "Valli"
- Anita Berber scandalous vamp, femme fatale, dancer and actress in the 1920’s. = "A.B."
- Josef Stalin... = "Wissi the great"
Bridge Markland is not interested in historical detail but wants to create atmosphere.
She does Bridge-performance with subjectively picked material of others.
She researched the biographies of Anita Berber, Valeska Gert, Josef Stalin and others, picked out sentences that subjectively spoke to her and had them spoken by friends. Researched music spanning the 20th century corresponding with the texts and made the concept for a radioplay like soundtrack in zapping style.
The soundtrack was edited in creative collaboration with composer and musicians Frieder Butzmann and Claus B.
The action / dance / performance was choreographed onto the soundtrack and performed in and out of the box. In every part of the performance the box stands for something else and zapping-like changes it`s meaning throughout the piece.
Performances:
Germany:
Berlin, Sophiensaele, 1998
Berlin, Ballhaus Naunynstraße, 1999
Dresden, Tanzherbst Dance Festival, 1999
Berlin, go drag! Festival, 2002
Münster, Tanzwochen, „BriPi“ + „A.B.“, 2002
Berlin, HAU 2,3 100°Berlin Festival, 2003 + 04
Potsdam, fabrik – Sturmfreie Bude, „Wissi the great“, 2004
Hannover, Eisfabrik – 3. Festival der Frauen, 2004
France:
Doaui, L'Hippodrome, Panorama Allemand, 1999
Uzés, Festival de la Nouvelle Danse, 2000
Dunkerque, France, It’s Queer Festival, „BriPi“ + „A.B.“, 2003
Austria:
Vienna, Wien ist andersrum (Vienna is queer) Festival, 2004
Pressvoices:
„The new firework on theatres sky is called Bridge Markland... We experience the unexpected … shock + provocation - not through the obscene naked body but through it`s innocense, it`s vulnerability, it`s beauty." Neues Deutschland Berlin, 1998
„Played from in and out of the box, madness, humor and pun combined with the artists mastery of the quick change technique and use of minimalistic means, namely Box as stage set and most important prop to deliver and transform the audiences experience beyond the realm of the „one woman show.“ Siegessäule Berlin, 1998
„Like a kilroy, the woman peeps out of her box. Like a Jack in the box, out she bursts. Like a naked whirling Derwish she dances her pubichair`dance.
... to an astonishing soundcollage... zapp, zaparadapp, the soundtrack zapps between English + German, poetry, biographical-glimpses and musical snippets... Marlene Dietrich, Beastie Boys, Zappa, Abba, and all the others. You can hardly believe it, as the swelling box singsong gives birth to several life stories...
...the Markland Metamorphosis. Wow !
The initially strange exhibition, so uncommon for the average person soon vanishes and the nakedness becomes natural.
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mold, Bridge is Bold !“
Der Tagesspiegel, Berlin , January 1999