The play "The Soldier's Tale" is based on the eponymous work by Igor Stravinsky (L'Histoire du Soldat), composed in 1918. It represents one of the first examples of interdisciplinary or total theatre, as it was conceived to merge dance, acting and music. The theme of the piece is the return of a soldier from a war, his emotions and the thoughts he faces. Guy Weizman recognized the potential of this work in his new reading, primarily because the concept, but also the story which the piece deals with, are universal and timeless. Unfortunately, it is hard to find a moment in human history when this topic is not current. On planet Earth there is always a war being fought for somebody's interests. "Club Guy & Roni" engaged the well known Dutch playwright Judith Herzberg to write the libretto, such that it communicates with our time and refers to the important themes relevant to the contemporary theatre viewer. The most essential are the questions: How does an honest man face the fact that he was forced to kill people on the other side of the line of fire? How is he then received by his social environment, to which he returns, does he succeed in resuming a normal life? Herzberg interviewed several soldiers in the Netherlands who told her about their war experiences. A large part of the libretto is composed from these authentic statements. Weizman and Haver decided to use the original music by Igor Stravinsky, while their choreographic language remains, as always, complex, intense and very demanding. It seeks from the dancer a great technical skill, virtuosity and stage maturity, which results in exciting, poetic and ecstatic stage scenes.
Jelena Kajgo
