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Caliban and the Witch - Giuvlipen Theater Company, "Marin Sorescu" National Theater of CraiovaCaliban and the witch
A spectacular, futuristic performance that radically rethinks Shakespeare'sThe Tempest The power balance is reversed: the Romani people conquer Western Europe, and Prospero, as a Romani Christian ruler, subjugates white Europeans in the name of "civilization." Sycorax, the witch displaced from the original play, finally gets a voice, while Caliban, as the oppressed European slave, becomes a symbol of rebellion.
A provocative and thought-provoking story about issues of power and injustice.
Creators
Background
"Caliban and the Witch" is a rewriting of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," inspired by Silvia Federici's book of the same name and the revolutionary texts and speeches of Frantz Fanon, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Ghassan Kanafani. Set in a fictional reality where the power dynamics between white Europeans and people of color are reversed, the show challenges the audience to confront the deeply ingrained legacy of colonialism, slavery, and systemic oppression. In this reimagined world, the Roma people, who historically have never had their own nation, come to power and colonize Western Europe. Prospero, a Roma Christian governor, creates an empire built on the subjugation of white Europeans. Prospero's mission to spread Christianity and civilize the "barbaric" Europeans reflects the historical justifications used by colonial powers to motivate the enslavement and exploitation of indigenous peoples.
Focus scene
Reviews
‘The creators strip down the story of The Tempest to its bare bones, removing the romantic subplots and humorous scenes involving the servants, leaving only Prospero's exploitation of the island's inhabitants and his abuse of his white supremacy. They then turn the situation on its head: Prospero is the governor of the Royal Slave Society of Rome, who has subjugated the "pale ones," while Miranda, as the secret daughter of the white witch Sycorax, sees herself as a "pale caricature”.’
Revizoronline.com‘At the beginning of the performance, Zita Moldovan, who plays Prospero, talks about how she cannot play strong female characters when performing Shakespeare. She would most like to play Sycorax, but this would not be satisfying for her because Sycorax has no lines in Shakespeare's play. The performance reflects on this as well: Sycorax, a barbaric, silent character in Shakespeare's play, is given a voice in Moldovan's performance, allowing her to represent two opposing poles. She embodies both the oppressor and the oppressed. In this way, she gives voice to two conflicting ideologies.’
Pótszékfoglaló.hu‘...Caliban and the Witch, a twisted adaptation of The Tempest, forcefully confronts us with the issues of oppression of social minorities and weaker social groups, and the construction of female identity from a male perspective. The production highlights this so effectively that it leaves the viewer pondering for days and helps them question social frameworks that they had previously believed to be certain.’
Prae.huMaterials to read
excerpts from the playphoto credits
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©Béla Váradi