“Les Emigrants” by Krystian Lupa in Geneva, a cancellation to change era – rts.ch

In Geneva, La Comédie was to produce a show by Polish director Krystian Lupa this month. At 79, he is described as a “sacred monster of European theatre”, a sort of shaman of the most demanding texts. His shows are long dives (4 to 5 hours) into literary works.

This show was to be the swan song of the director duo of La Comédie, Natacha Koutchoumov and Denis Maillefer. An ambitious production with a budget of 930,000 francs, with prestigious co-producers: the Festival d’Avignon where Lupa was regularly invited and the Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris. An international tour was to follow in stride.

Production stopped altogether at the beginning of June

The premiere of “The Emigrants” based on the novel by German WG Sebald, was to take place on June 1. It was first postponed for a week. Not ready. On June 2, a dramatic turn of events: production is stopped dead, canceled. The reason is explained by a press release from the management of the Comédie which notes “differences on the work philosophy between the artistic direction of the project on the one hand and the general management and the permanent and temporary teams on the other. These differences caused communication difficulties making the creation of the show impossible”. Between La Comédie and the director flanked by his close guard, nothing is going well.

This cancellation causes that of the dates at the Festival d’Avignon which cannot, for lack of means, ensure the end of this creation. Krystian Lupa apologizes in the french press for two scandals committed in rehearsal. However, he returns the responsibility to La Comédie, unable, according to him, to adapt to his way of working. Swiss actors and actresses want to continue, some are angry.

>> To read also: The cancellation of “Emigrants” at the Comédie de Genève angers the actors

Anger of the technical team of La Comédie

For its part, the technical team of La Comédie is drafting a nine-page document of which the RTS has been made aware. The tone is sober, factual and this very long text reveals a difficult working climate between the entire Swiss technical team, the Polish technical team, the director Krystian Lupa and his companion, the costume designer Piotr Skiba. The technical team evokes in this document “multiple lack of respect, reprimands, mockery, scenes of drunkenness and humiliation accompanied by a chaotic organization induced by the unpreparedness of the artistic team”. Said Skiba was regularly drunk and angry.

Multiple lack of respect, reprimands, mockery, scenes of drunkenness and humiliation accompanied by a chaotic organization induced by the unpreparedness of the artistic team.

From May 8 to 25, seated on stage facing his nine actresses and actors, but with his back to the technique, Krystian Lupa would have monologued for hours in Polish. His voice picked up by a microphone throughout the theater at high volume. Most of the time, he leaves no room for translation and speaks over it. The monologues last daily between 5 and 7.5 hours, again indicates the technical team of La Comédie. (Read box)

Exhaustion of the show’s translator

The report notes that the other theaters that have worked with this director have had to put in place a very high turnover of teams. There is talk of exhaustion, hospitalization and teams replaced entirely following refusals to collaborate with Krystian Lupa, particularly in Poland, his country of origin. A term strikes in the document which does not question the artistic quality of the director: it is that of “abuseur”.

On May 30, the peak of the crisis came: the exhausted translator – she worked 16 hours a day to translate and transcribe everything – asked for a five-minute break. Lupa screams and treats her in particular, according to the testimony collected by the RTS of a person present on the spot, of “dirty whore”. Co-director Denis Maillefer is entitled to the epithet “Satan”. He dared to raise his voice against a fact relating to moral harassment and mobbing, completely contrary to the working principles of this public institution that is La Comédie. Following this final scandal, the last working ties are broken.

>> To read also: Finishing off with the Polish director Krystian Lupa

Cancellation of the show in Avignon and problematic replacement

The replacement show for “Emigrants” at the Avignon Festival has been found. It is also a production of the Comédie de Genève. It is “To the extent of the impossible” by Tiago Rodrigues, current director of Avignon. In the cast of this show, we find the actress Natacha Koutchoumov, also co-director of La Comédie. This choice raises another ethical question. Can the person who canceled a play then appear in the production replacing it?

Thierry Sartoretti/olhor/aq