Love – Death
At 4:48 in the morning, the author of this play, Sarah Kane, would regularly wake up. What she faced throughout her life, she poured into her work. This play, chosen by three Serbian students for adaptation, has a very heavy and sad story. Autobiographical elements cannot be overlooked, but the author did not provide any “manual” for staging this play. A hospital environment accompanies the audience throughout the entire performance. Frequent interaction compels the audience to observe, be vigilant, alert, and search within the enormous cloud of text permeating the room. The theme of depression, thoughts bombarding the mind, feelings of loneliness and helplessness – all of this can be heard, seen, felt.
Dialogues, monologues, and moments of silence alternate, prompting the audience to pause for a moment. Most of the text is in the student’s native language, but English is used to interact with the audience during the play. The audience has the opportunity to share thoughts and thereby enhance the atmosphere of the play. The performance relies heavily on text, which in English sounds very poetic, but its demanding nature may not captivate every audience member.
The staging takes place in a confined space enveloped by plastic walls and a floor onto which words are scribbled. The word itself is a prop, a tool manipulated, varied, and assembled into sentences with infinite content. Coloured lights separate scenes in which the thoughts of a sick mind float through the room. It deals with emotions, and moods, and describes depressive states. The female duo alternates during the play, pointing out the fragmentation of the human mind through their monologues. Sharp hospital lights frame dialogues with the young doctor. Conversations focus on self-harm, the search for understanding, and peace that the patient cannot afford.
Music often interrupts the audience’s thoughts and essentially represents the transitions between scenes. At times, it complements the atmosphere along with the lights. One of the girls wore plain ordinary clothing, while her colleague was dressed in provocative tight dresses. The doctor's costume was slightly stylized but also corresponded to an authentic portrayal of the role.
Emotions flowed from the actors throughout the performance. I would highlight their concentration, demonstrated in interactions with the audience, but especially in places that, in my opinion, were very well constructed and led to an uncomfortable and long-lasting climax. Thus, a seed of fear, pain, and awkwardness sprouted within the audience. Some parts could evoke disgust in the audience – disgust towards the situation, but also for the actors. However, this is a sign that the students successfully conveyed what the work truly encapsulates. Feeling free in the space where the play was staged was virtually impossible, and the actors’ courage contributed to maximizing the use of extreme moments.
The story, which refers to a real event, rings alarm bells even in the last minutes of the performance when the actors have already left the stage. Words that make the audience hold their breath are not easy to utter. Everything in this play is merely the brutal confession of an ordinary person.
