The Free Theatre was created in 2001 in Brest. We started to ‘make the theatre' because we wanted to change ourselves and the situation around us. Street shows and happenings were the first thing that we did. The street is the place where we test ourselves. Life suddenly stops and stands still, while something weird, shocking, breaking the habitual rhythm fills it – and the street changes into the space for theatre, and the passers-by become the participants of the performance.
Being in the search of our own creative method we experiment with various techniques of working with an actor. Starting with the traditional K.S. Stanislavskiy's system via wide usage of Michael Chehov's excercises and mimes' excercises we come to experiments with voice and body and improvisations using Yerzy Grotowski and Eugenio Barba's methods.
We are determined to have a non- commercial lifestyle, which means creation of maximally great number of things by hand – from souvenirs to our performances. We sew costumes, make stilts, masks and dolls. The opportunity to create a great number of things means one more little freedom obtained by us – the freedom not to depend on constant hard-selling and make our life more spiritual.
The Free Theatre introduced its works at international festivals:
• International Theatre Festival “Formy teatralne” (Warsaw, Poland) – 2002
International Theatre Festival “Maski” (Poznan, Poland) – 2002
International Festival of Street Theatres “Sztuka ulicy” (Warsaw, Poland) - 2003
International festival of independent art “No Culture Without Subculture” (Minsk, Belarus) - 2004
XIV International Festival of Street Theatres (Jedlina Zdroj, Poland) – 2006
International Theatre Festival “Na pomostach” (Olsztyn, Poland) – 2006
International Street & Open-Air Festival Theatres “Feta” (Gdansk, Poland) - 2006
XXIV International Festival of Street Theatres (Jelenia Gora, Poland) – 2006
II International Festival of Street Theatres (Gorzow Wlkp., Poland) - 2007
International Theatre Festival “Belaya Vezha” (Brest, Belarus) - 2007
Central Europe Theatre Festival “«Sasiedzi»” (Lublin) – 2008
Theatre Festival “Wioska teatralna” (Wegajty, Polska) - 2008, 2009, 2010
• Theatre Festival «Lodzkie Spotkania Teatralne» (Lodz, Poland) – 2008 Special mention of jury
• Festival “Empty Hills” (Russia) - 2009
• Festival «Crossroads» (Lodz, Poland) – 2009
• International Arts Festival “Dach- 9” (Minsk, Belarus) – 2009
• International Arts Festival “Dach- 11” (Minsk, Belarus) - 2010
• International Theatre Festival «Wertep» (Hainowka, Poland) – 2009, 2010
• International Theatre Festival «Drabyna» (Lvov, Ukraine) – 2010
We made 8 performances and they differ with stylistics and method of work.
We look for the display of Utopia in real life – people's existence with another scale of values, openness, honesty, trust, because “nobody's killed as long as he does not agree with this”.
We are deeply convinced that any form of art must be led by an idea, a living idea, absorbing a man totally. A sharp form of art, art as a weapon - it is what we try to make.
Theatre is a social phenomenon existing for people, although created not for entertainment, but for rising up the spirit, waking up anxiety, reflection and questions.
The sense of the word “freedom” is so warn out and pale nowadays that we permanently have to “dig” to the deep essence of it. Freedom is what interests us most of all, as well as the possibility of searching for it and gaining it for ourselves.
An actor has to be the “singer of freedom”, constantly bringing it up and carrying it inside him.
An actor is a labourer of the spirit. His obligation is to aspire to widen his understanding of the world. An actor has to work with his body, mind and will.
We search for our life as a way via theatre.
Man is our main theme. An actor must express ideas of humanity, and he also has to fight for human rights.
The ability to love, to understand and to make gifts is what we try to gain.
An actor is a rebel. But in order to lead others this rebel must be sincere, trustful and joyful.
***
«We are growing out of one root
And an axe and a saw are useless against us.
Napalm and bullets are useless.
Money and decline of life are useless.
Our aim is to be landlords in our immortal forest
To be where we‘ve always been, and to grow out of one root.
To breathe in crystal-clear air and to clasp our hands
Having seen each other from a long distance.
We are partisans in the eternity, from whom the darkness is hiding away.»
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