Pioneering name of the New Wave Catalan Theatre, Carles Batlle is coming to Istanbul on 13-15 December within the context of the “New Text New Theatre” project carried out by the modern theatre company "Ve Diğer Şeyler Topluluğu" (And the Other Things Company) with the support of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency and, the contribution of Istanbul Cervantes Institute

The play “TEMPTATION” by Carles Batlle will reach the audience as a reading theatre in Istanbul. The play is telling about the significant inequality between the enriched North and impoverished South through the axis of intersecting human lives. Relations under the shadows of selfishness get the characters face to face with darkest instincts.

Reading of the play “TEMPTATION” will be performed in Pera Museum on Sunday, December 13th at 18:00. Apart from the reading, Carles Batlle will hold a playwright workshop on 13 and 15 December with the participation of playwrights from the “New Text New Theatre” project.

About “Temptation”

This is a dramatic tension despite the fact that four of the five scenes are monologues. The first is by Hassan, a middle-aged Moroccan man who has entered Spain illegally and hopes for assistance from Guilem, the son of a Spaniard he had known decades before during the filming of Lawrence of Arabia in Morocco. The monologue is addressed to Guilem, who is in the next room and may or may not be listening. It turns out he was taking a shower at least part of the time.

A young woman, Aixa, has two monologues which she addresses to a video camera, presumably for later viewing by Guilem. She is projected part of the time onto a gauze in front of the stage, so she is visible sometimes live, sometimes projected and often both at the same time. It gradually develops that Aixa is Hassan's daughter. She is also in Spain illegally, having fled a forced marriage in Morocco. Hassan then turns out to have died in some mysterious way, perhaps an accident or perhaps murder. Aixa feels guilty, in any case. Her dilemma, in addition to being in the clutches of the increasingly unscrupulous Guilem, is that she wants to give her father a decent burial (shades of Antigone), but if she does she will blow her own cover as an illegal immigrant and risk deportation.

Guilem has the last monologue. It is addressed to Aixa, but she is gagged and chained by her wrists to the bed frame, so she cannot respond, at least not verbally.

Destinies of Guillem, Aixa and Hasan would be intersected hopelessly. A significant inequality between the enriched North and impoverished South gets to appear through the axis of intersecting human lives; and the relations under the shadows of selfishness get the characters face to face with darkest instincts.

About Carles Batlle

An innovative and experimentalist playwright of the New Wave Catalan Theatre, Carles Batlle is a professor in Barcelona Autònoma University. His first work was a monograph “Adrià Gual” and won the ‘Serra d'Or Prize’ for the best critic.

Carles Batlle is a playwright, together with Sergi Belbel, Lluïsa Cunillé, Pau Miró and Josep Pere Peyró at Sala Beckett, one of the most prestigious alternative theaters of Barcelona.

Among his works are “Temptacio” (2004), “Combat” (1995–98); “Suite” the winner of the 1999 Societat General d'Autors d'Espana prize and “Oasis” the winner of best >German Translation prize at 2004 Bremen Stadt Theater Festival.

Carles Batlle constantly explores for a modern language and form in his plays which feature themes like memory, amnesia, immigration, cultural conflicts and war.

About the "New Text New Theatre"

The “New Text New Theatre” Project is an international and long run project focusing on new play-writing techniques. Though focused on texts this Project was initiated for opening discussions among the critics and academicians as to what sorts of directing, acting, dramaturge and stage design should be required by new play texts.

The modern theatre company “Ve Diğer Şeyler Topluluğu” (And the Other Things Company) founded in 2001 by the playwright, director and actress Yeşim ÖZSOY GÜLAN, engaged in the project for the purpose of introducing Turkish theatre in universal dimension. This project enlarges its scope between May and December 2009 by the support of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency Theatre and Performing Arts Directorate.

This Project aims at inviting foreign playwrights to Istanbul and henceforth creating close encounters for Turkish playwrights in order to introduce, discuss new theater work.

Realized for the fourth time this year, the “New Text New Theatre” has so far arranged various activities like interviews with figures from various areas of contemporary theatre, readings of new playwrights. In addition to the staged readings of the playwrights and the translation workshops which are in the context of the project, in the previous theatre season, contemporary playwrights from 7 different countries were introduced to Turkish audience.

For more information:

GalataPerform

Büyük Hendek Cad. No: 21 Galata Kuledibi Beyoğlu ISTANBUL

Tel: + 90 212 243 9991

Web: http://www.galataperform.com

Ve Diğer Şeyler Topluluğu (And the Other Things Company)

Web: http://www.vedigerseyler.com

New Text New Theatre Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5791709563

Carles Batlle is coming to Istanbul on 13-15 December for the “New Text New Theatre” with the contribution of Istanbul Cervantes Institute