25 November 2015
From 10 to 21 November, four classic plays of Odin Theatre, namely, Memoria, The Chronic Life, Salt and Itsi Bitsi directed by Mr Eugenio Barba, founder of Odin Theatre, made their China debut through STA’s Experimental Teaching Studio for International Performing Arts. The cooperation between Experimental Teaching Studio for International Performing Arts and Odin Theatre started from May last year when the studio successfully held the “Introductory Program of Master’s Practice and Theory – Towards Odin Theatre”, which left the audiences with a deep impression. The performance of the four plays this time has, however, enabled the theatre practitioners and researchers in China to have better appreciation and understanding of Odin Theatre.
These four plays by Mr Eurgenio Barba attracted a large number of domestic and international audiences. Everyday there was a long queue outside the theatre waiting for admittance. The theatre staff had to limit the numbers. Queuing up before the performance and discussing enthusiastic afterwards, the audiences felt as if they were attending a grand event of the arts every day. Now, STA has appointed Mr Eurgenio Barba as its honourary professor and is in advance discussion with him regarding future cooperation. It is believed that Mr Barba’s concepts and approaches for creation will bring new concepts and thoughts to China’s theatre education, cross-cultural communication and theatre anthropology studies, particularly, in the exploration of how traditional arts should develop in the modern theatre setting.
