«Mary d’Ous», un punt d’inflexió

Abstract

This work is a compilation of the results of a seminar made by the Department of Theatrical Sciences of the lnstitut del Teatre of Barcelona about the “Analysis of shows recorded in video”; it takes part in the effort, more and more widespread all over the world, to bestow on the theatrical criticism, as it is called nowadays, its own and true statute of independent and theoretical reflection.

We have chosen Mary d'Ous, a show by Els Joglars, because it is the topmost point of a theatrical conception based on the absence of a plot and also the last one of this kind of shows. In fact, after Mary d'Ous, Els Joglars changed completely. Alias Serrallonga, their following show, belongs no more to the same universe.

We believe that Mary d'Ous is the most current show of Els Joglars because it is the one which makes most clear the present needs of the dramatic criticism and which gives us more reasons and more images to try to overcome them.

We reproduce here a fragment of the text written by Els Joglars to hand it out: “Mary d'Ous: Variations on two themes. Show begum in Pruït (Barcelona) in June 1972 and finished in Barcelona at the beginning of December of the same year. The formal purpose of this show can be summarized as follows: it constitutes an attempt to obtain a maximum of scenic efficiency, using a minimum of elements related both to the plot and to the scenography. The show is based on a series of improvisations and studies made by the actors on the generic theme of the musical arrangement transposed to the dramatic process (canon, fugue, counterpoint, variations on themes, etc.).”