Reporting directly from the production set, I will draw the behind the scenes of “Orfeo”, by Susanne Kennedy, Suzan Boogaerdt, Bianca van der Schoot, with the Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop, that will be performed between 18-20, 26-27, 30 September and 1-4 October at Martin-Gropius-Bau. The notable element of this production is that it is conceived as a parcours, resulting in an immersive experience- the set is build as a succession of different rooms that the viewer/immerser will explore, one by one, meeting (several) Eurydike and Orpheo. The music, played for 9 hours straight, derives from Monteverdi’s L’Orpheo.

As an observer, I will have the chance to see how all this is put together, from technical to formal.

Partner in this reportage: Berliner Festspiele

1. 11th September 2015

1.1 The idea (immersive experience; omnipresent Eurydike)

 

 

 

About how punctual the viewers ought to be:

 

 

1.2 On the set

Essential:

 

 

 

A bike and a transporter, both bearing Orfeo sign:

 

 

 

 

 

A technical hole into one of the props (cloud):

 

 

Someone from the crew is wearing this:

 

 

 

 

 

And…the last truck of props:

 

2. 12th September 2015

As I arrived that morning, there were two museum white collar employers, engaged in some sort of a strange dance-demo:

The doorman, stock-still:

The set is made out of a labyrinth of rooms and one backyard (living room, kitchen, bathroom, backyard, hobby room, resurrection room, sleeping room). Their construction- in progress:

 

 

The technical backbone of each room:

 

Boris, the light technician:

 

Each technician is focused on one job/room at a time:

 

3. 14th September 2015

The complexity of the set keeps on growing- lots and lots of cables. The door becomes an entrance to the underworld:

 

 

 

One technician walks around in socks- spotlessness required:

A solution for the shoes:

One important tool to have around:

“Erste Hilfe” kit, like a protecting matron:

So many tools, so many devices:

Color starts to stuck on things:

Today’s doorman, full of initiative:

4. 15th September 2015

A few more technical details before the musicians and actors will come in for rehearsals:

At the end of the rooms labyrinth, the viewers will see an animation of Eurydike falling. It’s hard work to adjust it.

Note that Eurdyke is wearing a wristwatch. Her time is running out…

5. 16th September 2015

After days of pure technical work, the musicians and actors are coming in for a first tryout. Instruments out of their cases, chairs-tripods-musicians-  all set- and the music is about to begin:

The music director- focused and flanked by two assistants:

Paying attention to tiny details:

And then:

Monteverdi deconstructed- some notes are held there for a while:

Tiny gestures:

The passing of music:

It is very important that the musicians retain their gestures and act delicately:

A built-in camera was watching all this:

Someone put one of Eurydike’s wigs on a cello ending:

One of the directors watches the musicians’ ensemble:

Then the actors came in and made their first tour of the set. One of them brushed against the walls:

In the dressing room, waiting to be put on- rows of wigs:

Likewise:

5. 17th September 2015

Last details before the premiere:

6. 18th September 2015-the premiere

On Friday, the day of the premiere, I went in-officially. There were groups of other viewers waiting for their turn. From 10 to 10 minutes one group would go in:

Just before entering the first door- some people in my group arranged their appearance a little bit, as the red light announced us not to enter (yet):

Going from room to room, each of us had to behave towards space (where should we stand, will it look akward?):

In each room (several) Eurydike, showing signs of imminent death:

There were waiting corridors- between two red lights:

And at one point:

In and, then, out: