Theatre Gigante’s World Premiere ‘HereThereWhere’

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Photo courtesy Theatre Gigante

Theatre Gigante ‘HereThereWhere’

Theatre Gigante ‘HereThereWhere’

The three characters in HereThereWhere are trying to understand an enigmatic invitation to an unexplained party. They wonder from what starting point they should leave to arrive at that party, as if all coordinates of time, space and meaning have been suspended. They are lost in a world that makes no sense. “Are they alive? Or somewhere in limbo?” says Isabelle Kralj, playing one of the befuddled trio, anticipating one of the audience’s many questions.

Four strong voices came together to compose Theatre Gigante’s world premiere, HereThereWhere. The basic text was written by Slovenian playwright Rok Vilcnik, a longtime colleague of Gigante’s artistic directors, Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson. Additional parts were written by Kralj, Anderson and their friend, actor-writer and past collaborator Alessandro Renda from Italy’s Albe/Ravenna Teatro. “We battled it out in friendly fashion,” Kralj says, describing her work with Renda and Anderson of taking apart Vilcnik’s script, dividing it among three unnamed characters and adding monologues representing various human tendencies. “Alessandro said, ‘We don’t compromise. Once you compromise, you kill theater,’” she continues. In the end, all sides came to agree with the other’s positions, sometimes after a night of sleeping on the ideas. “It was all hands on the Ouija board,” Anderson adds, speaking to the collaborative process.

The resulting production is absurd, challenging and comedic, suggesting the enduring inspiration of mid-20th century Existentialism but with 21st century technology including videos representing emotional states of mind (bewilderment?). “There are so many lines that make you think about the bigger elements, many playful words of wisdom. It’s full of gems,” Kralj says.

Challenge the Audience

One thing HereThereWhere is not is a linear, storytelling play. “The seven scenes form a wild loop, challenging the audience to piece it together,” Anderson says. “Eighty-five percent of the text is in English. Alessandro speaks parts in Italian, with supertitles, and Isabelle speaks Slovenian at times.” The flow and rhythm of each language becomes musical, which is not to say that there is no music.

Most of HereThereWhere’s nonverbal sounds were created by Gigante’s resident composer, Frank Pahl, including delicate melodies on strings and euphonium as well as percussion. “Spike Jones is among the many elements in his repertoire,” Anderson says. “The music can take a whacky turn.”

Whacky or not, HereThereWhere is intended as a thought-provoking experience. “There are ideas in the absurd playfulness of the one-liners, so many metaphors, so many statements made in a funny absurd fashion,” Kralj concludes. “It’s a continuation of Gigante’s style. You can probe into it as deeply as you want, or you can sit back and let it wash over you.”

Theatre Gigante performs HereThereWhere May 17-19 at Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place, 5th Floor. For tickets, visit theatregigante.org.