The Last Staging

Debate space – Performative after talk
Chorgasse, Neumarkt, Zürich, Switzerland
Spring 2018

- The Last Staging is a play based on the suicide letter of Getúlio Vargas, co-created by directors Liliane Pereira and Julia Skof, questing the populist speech and playing with the emotional response of crowds. The play used radio aesthetics to feed the audience and the performers with the development actively. Weaving back and forth of the central incident of Varga's suicide draws the sonic and the visual experience for the audience addressing propaganda by playing on the conflicting emotions toward Vargas as a human and a dictator.

With dramaturge Melanie Osan we developed a speed-dating-like structure where the audience and performers were invited for the performative after-talk. A set up of two rows of chairs facing each other and leaving a gap in between for pedestrians. One line of chairs has the privilege of asking the other row of chairs. In retrospect, the other row had to answer. For each round, there is one minute, and then the line circulates with moving to the next chair; like a domino, everyone must move to the next chair. During the 15 minutes, everyone will have the chance to ask a question and answer. We researched the chairs set up proposition concerning the exciting architecture, what to hide, what to revile, and how to set.

The ally was the right place as it closed the horizon, which gave the feeling of here/now. Nothing beyond the person you are facing can distract your attention. The two lines were placed away by a meter and a half, opening the gap/path for passers opening the possibility of interruption. The audience applied their tactics over our strategy, and that was a very successful aspect that the audience felt free enough to rearrange and adapt to their needs. Everyone brought their chairs closer to hear each other since it is quite a job to listen to if thirty people are talking simultaneously, which brought up different kinds of intimacy/care toward each other.