the white room | conversations on theatre

TWR030 - On Dialogue (with Brenno K. Russo)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

Brenno Kaschner Russo

(recorded and streamed on 3 May, 2021)

„Dialogue is really aimed at going into the whole thought process and changing the way the thought process occurs collectively. We haven’t really paid much attention to thought as a process. We have engaged in thoughts, but we have only paid attention to the content, not to the process.“
David Bohm, On Dialogue

In this special episode Brenno invites us to talk about and practice Dialogue in the tradition of David Bohm. We also invoke Martin Buber and his tales of the chassidim. We touch a lot of not strictly theatrical topics, that nevertheless maybe connect to theatre and arts.

Brenno co-founded dialogues.one – “a community and open source method for listening and speaking to each other for drafting future scenarios”

The cover image is of course Bruegel’s Tower of Babel – just upside down!

Books:
David Bohm, On Dialogue
Martin Buber, Tales of the Hasidim

From now on we will gather in the white room on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it in your Podcast App, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR029 - Visions of Artaud (with Théophile Choquet)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

Théophile Choquet

(recorded and streamed on 26 April, 2021)

Do you know Antonin Artaud (1896 – 1948)? We neither, and we don’t pretend to. With Théophile we try to circle around this very special figure in theatre history – as a visionary for theatre, philosophy, virtual reality, radio plays; and as a tragic figure, plagued by disease and misfortune.

Before that, we also speak again briefly on Jean-Claude Carriére and discover his true humanism.

The rest is silence. And books to read:

Theophile recommends by Antonin Artaud
The Theatre and Its Double
Love letters
Van Gogh: The Man Suicided by Society

Marije recommends
Alchemists of the Stage, Mirella Schino

From now on we will gather in the white room on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it in your Podcast App, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR028 - Playtime (with Futur3)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

André Erlen

Stefan Kraft

(recorded and streamed on 19 April, 2021)

In TWR006 we spoke with André about his professional history and the work of Futur3: https://whiteroom-pod.com/twr006-future-experiments/

After one year we meet again with theatre group Futur3 (Cologne, DE), i.e. with the Artistic Directors Stefan Kraft and André Erlen.

After introducing the podcast, we’re resurrecting the category “Secret Word of Today”. We speak about how we are, strategies against the Machine and strategies for Hybrid Forms; we talk Zoom performances.
We touch the topic of how to treat each other in work, and the open wounds in the history of independent theatre.
In the end we speak about Theatre & Games, which according to André, is his only hope for continuity (cum grano salis).

Conclusions: In theatre, it’s never what it is.

We also have some spiritual aide by Jean-Claude Carriére and Frank Zappa.

The title and the cover image of course pay homage to the sublime Jacques Tati!

From now on we will gather in the white room on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it in your Podcast App, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR027 - Cheers for Fears (with Sina Schneller & Jascha Sommer)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

Sina Schneller

Jascha Sommer

the white room – conversations on theatre #27
(recorded and streamed on 5 April, 2021)

In the 27th episode we speak with Sina and Jascha, founders of the network Cheers for Fears. After Simon spills some water into the wine of the concept “SARS-Cov-2-testing for events” we speak about infectious networks, cold and warm, virtual villages, loneliness, vulnerability and magic, about the risk of encounter; and more.

“Say it aloud / I’m lost and proud / You’re welcome here / Cheers for Fears!”
CHEERS FOR FEARS is an initiative launched in 2013 with the aim of intensifying the exchange between young artists in North Rhine-Westphalia and their academies and stimulating artistic collaborations. The founding impulse of the initiative resulted from the desire to exchange work strategies, aesthetics and perspectives across academies and disciplines.

Show notes
CHEERS FOR FEARS – http://www.cheersforfears.de/
Peter H. Diamandis – A false sense of security… – https://www.diamandis.com/blog/false-sense-security (Simon)
Cheryl Giles, radical care – https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/11/cheryl-giles/ (Marije)

Cover photo (c) Sven Neidig, 2016

Books

Donna Haraway – Staying with the Trouble
Morgan Scott Peck – The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace (Marije)
Eugenio Barba – Theatre: Solitude, Craft, Revolt (Marije)

From now on we will gather in the white room fortnightly on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR026 - One Hundred Years of Solitude

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

(streamed & recorded on March 22, 2021)

We wanted to limit ourselves to one hour, but got carried away a little bit. Celebrating the anniversary of this podcast, we cannot help but notice the real sad anniversary of the pandemic. We discover it’s hard to recall how we actually did feel one year ago, and to recollect how many big and small things have changed – for good? Will we get to the point, where we return to whatever shall be normal?

Among other things, we look at important Performances without Spectators, especially Pope Francis’ “Urbi et Orbi” blessing from March 27, 2020, and – Football / Soccer.

Links:

Pope Francis, Urbi et Orbi, March 27, 2020: https://youtu.be/P6mMM8uZXkY
Michael Spicer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TerencePlato

From now on we will gather in the white room fortnightly on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR025 - Thinginess (with Linda Cunningham)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

Linda Cunningham

(recorded and streamed on March 8, 2021)

A very bifurcating conversation with Linda Cunningham, containing: Ambiguity, #InternationalWomensDay, Real Emancipation vs. Emancipation as Brand, Privileges, Greenwashing, Power, the Daughters of Dún Iascaigh, Relation, Theatre, Linguistics, Reality, Rhythm, Suspension, Music.

In the end we discover and reject “Thinginess”, and speculate why we don’t respect Mystery anymore.

Show notes
Daughters of Dún Iascaigh – https://twitter.com/iascaigh
Pensions pay gap – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56315730

From now on we will gather in the white room fortnightly on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it, by recommending it to your friends and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR024 - Homage to a True Liar

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

(recorded and streamed on 22 Feb, 2021)

After touching some smaller topics, Simon speaks at length about Jean-Claude Carrière, screenwriter, playwright, narrator, dramaturg for the greatest films of Luis Buñuel and theatre productions of Peter Brook and many others. A remarkable person, a true liar, he died on 8th February, 2021.

Shownotes:

https://ourworldindata.org
Study on Contagion in Concert Hall Dortmund (in German): https://www.br-klassik.de/aktuell/news-kritik/corona-aerosol-studie-dortmund-ansteckung-konzert-theater-100.html
Jean-Claude Carriére: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Carrière
Carriére and Buñuel: https://youtu.be/Q080ljkfeQA
Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata, TV version: https://youtu.be/yhqkRGISQr8
From now on we will gather in the white room fortnightly on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

Intro music by Jonas de Rave (Gent, BE)

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR023 - Against Solutions

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

(recorded and streamed on 8 Feb, 2021)

containing Coronavirus Update: Resignation, Clubhouse Ladidah.
Speaking about Practice without the Practice. Future Topics: Classic Texts & Artificiality.
“The Village” online project: more information is coming!
Future of Theatre Work towards precarious sustainability.

The cover is “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” by Caravaggio (~1601). Slightly darker.

From now on we will gather in the white room fortnightly on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR022 - Beipackzettel

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

(recorded and streamed on 25 Jan, 2021)

Our first episode 2021 starts with a scanning of possible topics that interests us.

Contents: Signal, Digital Naivité, Surveillance Capitalism, Attention.

Where is Theatre Going? Auditive Worlds and Online Performances, Problem of Interaction and Flow. Virtual Hacker congress #rc3 in Germany.

Rhythm. Working language, Metaphors and Scientific Thinking.

From now on we will gather in the white room every fortnight on Mondays at 20:00 (CET). Join us live: https://whiteroom-pod.com/live

We are happy to receive any (constructive) feedback and criticism, corrections, comments, questions and notes: whiteroom (at) whiteroom-pod.com. You can also comment below. We will try to reflect on this input in the podcast.

You can support the podcast by subscribing to it and by becoming a producer, if you like. A small regular contribution already makes a big difference.

TWR021 - Same Storm, Different Boats (with Christian Grüny, Marta Wryk, Linda Cunningham)

Simon Bronikowski

Marije Nie

Christian Grüny

Marta Wryk

Linda Cunningham

(recorded on Dec 30, 2020)

We sat together for a special end of year episode, which we streamed live on the evening of December 30. We had a lot of technical problems (who didn’t this year!?), but lovely guests, drinks and a lot of fun.

We wanted to do our own preposterous retrospective of 2020. So we let ourselves pass freely from general reflections of the year to more theatre related topics.

You can use the chapter markers to jump to topics that interest you.

We speak about the privilege of choice and how much we’re NOT „in the same boat“ in this crisis, about technology as a tool or collaborator, at length about „performing online“ and the immediacy of theatre.

Thanks to Christian, Linda and Marta for taking part in this somewhat improvised experiment and sharing their input so generously.

With Christian Grüny we recorded our 7th episode: Proto-Knowledge

With Marta Wryk we recorded our 11th episode: The Athletic Voice