The play La Democrazia in America (to be seen at the Holland Festival on 4, 5 and 6 June) is of course about democracy in America, but actually more about The Democracy in America. And the two should not be confused. After all, Democracy in America is a 1,200-page book by French jurist De Tocqueville. This 1836 work became a standard for constitutional law experts, and is still basic material for law students in - especially - the US.
How on earth do you make theatre out of a state law textbook? Good question for Italian Romeo Castellucci. I spoke to the darling of the international festival scene shortly after its premiere, in Antwerp in early March. At that time, the piece was still in full development. I found it difficult to interpret, I will tell you frankly. That's why I leave explaining it to the director, who in the first work I saw of his put a real throat cancer patient and two real anorexia patients on stage.
The title says it all. Take that literally.
'For the spectator, the performance starts from the very title: Democracy in America. Everything the spectator sees in the performance, he will link to it. Man possesses an amazing imagination, so that will come up with every image: democracy in America. A farm couple? Democracy in America. A dance? Democracy in America. Two Indians? Democracy in America. Tragic fate of Indians? Democracy in America.'
'There is an epic in that title, a complete story, a tragedy. Under that banner, people have made discoveries, wreaked havoc, made progress.'
Tell a simple story.
'At the beginning, a white peasant woman chooses to speak Indian. She refuses the social contract, rejecting the new settler society. She chooses to speak the native language of the land where she is, because she wants to have a relationship with that land. This woman does not believe in the new democracy. At the end, two Indians discuss ovber usefulness and necessity of cooperating with the settlers, and even adopting their language. What remains between the beginning and the end is emptiness. That is the most important characteristic of America: emptiness. It is also a tragic one. Cultural emptiness, physical emptiness. Emptiness is the foundation of American culture. It occupies a huge place there.'
Don't make theatre, do images.
'A tragedy, as we know it, is alien to America. American tragedy is an oxymoron, a contradiction, and absurdity. America and emptiness, that's Andy Warhol. There is no history, there is landscape and there is space. There is not even a god in that empty land. What happens between beginning and end is a work of art that focuses on the perception of the viewer. Indeed, that perception ís the artwork.'
Let the spectator do the work himself.
'For me, the role of the spectator is fundamental. Who is more important than I am. At the end, what remains is the spectator's experience, not mine. I throw something on stage, the spectator makes the story. That is his job. I appeal to the responsibility of each spectator. The spectator is an adult who can relate to the image completely independently. That should also be a problem. The artist's job is to give that problem to the spectator. Every spectator has his or her own life, his or her own view. It is never neutral. That's what my theatre is based on.'
'It regularly happens that the viewer gets something out of it that I hadn't counted on at all. But that is precisely the intention. Nobody has to decide on that. I make suggestions.'
If it has to be blurry, make it blurrier.
'The centrepiece contains many folk dances from all kinds of peoples of the world. That picture was still too bright during the premiere. It has to become much more vague. In the end, you should only see vague shadows moving, without seeing exactly how they move. It should be about the oblivion of celebration. About the fleetingness of joy. It should be about colour, but it should be vague memories. Forgotten joy. In fact, this is a dream of my main character. Ultimately, the middle section should work as a tunnel between the first part about the Puritan settlers, after which you are plunged into oblivion, into emptiness, into delusion, and you find the Indians at the end. It is a rite de passage, which benefits from extreme haziness.'
Keep out current affairs.
'The idea for this play is years old, but realisation only got off the ground last year. Actually, it is annoying that now Trump has become so topical. Everyone no longer thinks about Democracy in America, the book, but only about Trump, the president. Whereas I think we should look for the depths, for what is happening in Europe. De Tocqueville was a European. The book was also a way for him to look at Europe through America.'
Embrace chance, or not.
'All images are meant to be pure coincidence. Look for no meaning beyond 'car crash', if in the imagination of an accident the spinning car in it is of Italian manufacture. That says nothing about Italy. An American car was too heavy to transport and manipulate.'
Where and when?
La Democrazia in America can be seen at the Holland Festival on 3, 4 and 5 June. Information.
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