JAN FABRE/

TROUBLEYN

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

JAN FABRE
Jan Fabre (Antwerp, 1958) is considered one of
the most innovative and versatile artists of his
days. Over the past 30 years, he has produced
works as a visual artist, theatre maker and
author. In the late 1970s, the young Jan Fabre
caused a sensation as a performance artist. In
1982, the work This is theatre like it was to be
expected and foreseen and two years later The
power of theatrical madness challenged the
foundations
of
the
European
theatre
establishment. Chaos and discipline, repetition
and madness, metamorphosis and the
anonymous are indispensable ingredients in
Fabres theatre.
Productions such as Je suis sang ,Tannhuser,
Angel of Death, Quando luomo principale
una donna, Orgy of Tolerance, Preparatio
Mortis and Prometheus-Landscape II have
earned Fabre international acclaim. In 2005, Jan
Fabre was artiste associ of the Festival
dAvignon, he then created Histoire des Larmes
for the cour dhonneur, where he had already performed Je suis sang in 2001 and a retake of Je suis
sang in 2005. Therefor, he is the only artist in the world, who had three performances on the cour
dhonneur in Avignon.

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

THE POWER OF THEATRICAL MADNESS

Play for seven women and eight men, including an opera singer.
Duration 4 hours 20 minutes. (no pause)
Concept, texts and direction Jan Fabre

The power of theatrical madness ((De macht der theaterlijke dwaasheden): the title resembles a
solemn pose on the altar of theatre. It celebrates the former glory of theatre, with a lot of velvet, with
deep-red chairs and gilt ornaments.
The soft hum of audience members talking in the boxes, the sound of champagne glasses in stately
ballrooms, the idolization of actors and actresses who convey sentiment, the folly of the Baroque
theatre stage are echoed in the title.
In it, nineteenth-century theatre is exposed as the favourite diversion for the gentry, which submitted
to the enchanting hallucinations. The illusions that are staged are no longer theatrical; to use a
Fabrian neologism, they are theater-lijk (literally: theatre-body; meaning: theatre-like), a memorial
service in the making: the corpse of theatre lies in state on the altar that is the stage. In this mortuary,
we bid farewell to it, with an ode which sounds the praises of the deceased, while simultaneously and
Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

eternally banning it to its cellars.

The Power..., above all, is a historic performance. It is history in the making. Not only in Fabres
body of work - this production signified his definitive international breakthrough but it also reveals
the end point, where the economy of illusion now finds itself and transcends it. As a key moment in
the history of theatrical illusion, Fabre chooses Wagner's impressive creation, Der Ring
des Nibelungen. Wagner not only raises the opera genre to the status of Gesamtkunstwerk, but he is
also the first composer and theatre maker to have the lights in the theatre dimmed, thus emancipating
a popular medium and turning it into an autonomous aesthetic product. The Power of Theatrical
Madness quotes this emancipatory moment in an extremely long and painful scene, in which an
actress is forcefully denied access to the stage. She scratches, she bites, she seduces, she curses and
shouts, but the actor who is controlling the entrance to the stage drags her back to square one in an
increasingly violent manner. Only when she can answer the repeated sphinx-like riddle, 1876?,
which the actor continues to present to her, i.e., the premiere date of the Ring, is she allowed back on
stage, the place of birth of theatrical appearances. At the same time as Fabre evokes this part of
theatrical history, he also revives Andersens fairy tale, The Emperor's new clothes. At the centre of
his play is an emperor, armed with a sceptre and crown, who drapes his invisible garments around
his nude body in an attempt to impress his subjects. Throughout the performance, the emperor walks
to and from ceremoniously, past our field of vision, simultaneously astonishing and blinding. With
the demonstration of this sublime lie, the ultimate masquerade, Fabre brings a regnum to the stage
that is on its last legs. His gesture is an evocation and a destruction. Numerous scenes showcase the
splendour and the beauty of the lie. We all want to believe in frogs that turn into princes or in heroes
who venerate their princesses. Fabre creates his own Gesamtkunstwerk, by interweaving an
overwhelming number of projected images of the mannerist schools, with musical quotes by
composers such as Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Othmar Schoeck, Bizet and minimalist music
by Wim Mertens. Meanwhile, the stage is dominated by expurgated actions. It is a remarkably
eclectic composition, in which pose, pomposity and mannerism dominate. The pomposity, however,
is taken down by the sense of reality on the stage: the heroes and princesses are reduced to
perspiration and weight, thanks to endless repetitions and exciting acceleration. A ballet etude
changes into an increasingly faltering choreography. The duration of real time thus undermines the
lie of fiction.
In The Power of Theatrical Madness, Fabre unfolds the principles of power. With a reference to
Foucault, Fabre charts the system of discipline. The actors physical endurance is constantly tested to
the extreme. The uniform movements and clothes are designed to eliminate any sign of individuality.
Commands and submission dominate every scene's actions.

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

REQUERIMIENTOS TECNICOS
PERFORMING SPACE (see technical plan on last page)
A black dance floor from the ORGANISATION covers the stage, which measures 12 meters wide
by 11 meters deep (plus 3m backstage). It has to be laying from Jardin(stage right) to Cour (stage
left) stage. Each dance floor row has to be 1m50 wide. We prefer to lay it down at the end of the
building! So there is no dance floor down when we start building.
The stage is delineated by the projection screen/backdrop (10 meters wide by 5,92 meters high)
provided by TROUBLEYN. The actors enter and leave the stage to the left and right of this
backdrop.
The wings are closed off with black stage drapes provided by the ORGANISATION.
Twenty-three light bulbs are suspended from white electrical cords in a symmetrical pattern, 2,30
meters above the stage. The light bulbs and white electrical cords are provided by TROUBLEYN.
The digital projector provided by the ORGANISATION has to hang above the public space, or stand
on a balcony. It needs a tele lens and shutter. (lamp: max 6000 ansi-lumen)

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

IMPORTANT: WE NEED A STAGE HIGHT MINIMUM 90 CM, MAXIMUM 1M50, AND A

FLYBAR 50 CM BEFORE STAGEBORDER (FIRST ROW OF LIGHTBULBS, SEE
TECHNICAL PLAN AT LAST PAGE)
The open space between first row audience and edge of stage must be +- 2m.

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ORGANIZER provides:
Black dance floor 12 meters wide by 11 meters deep
Black backdrop and side curtains
Black borders
Carpets to muffle the noise of footsteps in the backstage
Material to suspend the light bulbs on the grid or fly bars (gaffer tape, small rubber bands)
60 flat, white kitchen porcelain plates with a diameter of +/- 26 cm minimum per
performance/rehearsal
=> see picture bellow
2 deep, white kitchen porcelain plates with a diameter of +/- 26 cm minimum
2 Aras (birds), alive. Ara ararauna with a body of at least 40cm (with tail in total 70cm)
=> see picture bellow
8 Tomato frogs, alive. Dyscophus (antongilli or guineti)
=> see picture on next page
2 floor lamps with a chord (10m) and foot switch
2 green plastic trash bins with lid with one handle (60 cm high, 70 cm diameter)
4 round white buckets (normal size)
Imitation Louis XVI chair

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TROUBLEYN provides:
Little plastic bags with fake blood
Light fitting and cables
White backdrop for projection
30 light bulbs, 60watt
2 blunt kitchen chef knifes
Small props

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White plates

Two Aras

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

Tomato Frog

SCHEDULE
FIRST DAY (BUILDING + DRESS REHEARSAL)
9am 1pm
BUILDING
1pm 2pm
LUNCH
2pm 7pm
SPACING + REHEARSAL
7pm 8pm
DINNER
8pm 9pm
STAGE PREPARATION
9pm 2am
DRESS REHEARSAL
SECOND DAY (PERFORMANCE)
2pm - 7pm
SPACING + REHEARSAL
7pm 8pm
LUNCH
8pm 9pm
STAGE PREPARATION
9pm 2am
PERFORMANCE
THIRD DAY (PERFORMANCE 2)
(IF THERE IS)
2pm 7pm
SPACING + REHEARSAL
7pm 8pm
DINNER
8pm 9pm
STAGE PREPARATION
9pm 2am
PERFORMANCE 2
This schedule is ment as a guideline and can be adapted according to the circumstances!!!

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

LIGHTING
The lighting board should be placed centrally in the auditorium, next to the sound board. The
23 hanging lamps use 13 channels.
ORGANIZER provides:
. Cabling for hanging lamps
. Preset Lighting desk with minimum 26 faders (cross fade between 2 scenes)
. 6 profile spots 2000W narrow angle with iris
. Applause light
. House lights

Troubleyn provides:
23 candle lamps of 60W with cables

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

SOUND AND PROJECTION

Music, sound effects, and videos for the performance are on Apple computer.
The soundboard should be placed centrally in the auditorium, together with the light board for
houselights and applause lights.
The video projector should be standing at the first balcony or hanging above the tehnics desks, if
there are no balconys.
We send movies to the projector from apple computer. This computer needs a place next to light and
sound desks.
ORGANIZER provides:
. 2 CD player (for back-up)
. amplifier
. small mixing console MAX 24 FADERS
. good quality loudspeakers: FOH + 4 monitors on stage (in each corner)
. 1 dpa wireless headset microphone for operasinger
. hanging system for the projector
. 1 digital projector max 6000 ansi lumen, with tele lens and shutter

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

DRESSING ROOM
We need dressing rooms with make up table, mirror and clean towels for 15 performers + 2 extra
dressing rooms for production.
Fresh drinking water (enough small bottles of water), sandwiches, coffee, tea, some fruits, nuts and
anything that gives energy are appreciated!
COSTUMES
We need one assistant, every day, for our costume lady Kasia; for washing, ironing and preparing
costumes.
They will need:
2 Washing machines, and 2 dryers.
2 Ironing boards and irons.
Or dry-clean service to be picked up after the show and brought back the next day ironed.
Clean towels every day for 15 performers in the dressing rooms.
Clean towels every day for 15 performers in the side stage during the performance.
GENERAL NOTES
Technicians needed
Build up & strike:
4 stagehands for building the set and striking the set
. 1 lighting technician
. 1 sound technician
. 1 projection technician

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx

LINK PARA VIDEO

THE POWER OF THE TEATRICAL MADNESS

Miguel Serrano 3 - 402, Col. Del Valle, c.p. 03100 Tel. ++52 (55) 5575.6640
www.proaartistas.mx