Romeo Castellucci’s Berenice “In a month, in a year” by Mael Heinz

Dear Shaded Viewers,

This year, the Théâtre de la Ville is holding a reprise of Castellucci’s Berenice. Widely inspired by Racine’s classical play, this show deeply redefines theater. It merges contemporary practices that refresh our eyes. Without any surprises, the enfant terrible of the theater outrages us but in more subtile ways.

First, let’s remember that before the acclaimed European tour the show had, the play was widely heckled. Spectators reproached that they didn’t understand the meaning of the play nor the voice of Isabelle Huppert. We don’t deny it: the show is unsettling. However, isn’t that the role of theater? Furthermore, let’s address the traditionalists. The show is as close as it gets to Racine’s theater. In 17th-century France, actors were dressed in contemporary costumes with neither props nor machinery on stage.

Let’s recap the plot: Berenice, Palestinian queen, is in love with Titus, the Roman emperor. Titus’ father died, and the Roman senate wants him as his successor. Then Antiochus, an oriental emperor appointed by Titus, is also in love with her. Nobody dies, but each of the lovers will go home scattered. Castellucci wanted to make us feel the tension and abandonment from within. We experience a monologue accompanied by the unique soundwork of Scott Gibbons. Faithfull collaborator of Romeo Castellucci, he offers constant muted noises, percussions of common objects, and oriental instruments. This is one of the reasons we are in a blurred state between internal and external behavior.

Then, the props magnify the performers’ stance. Each presence on stage is grand, amplified thanks to them. Isabelle Huppert delivers a nuanced performance. She adopts spotless diction. Her physical presence is imposing yet vulnerable, making you wonder how so much energy can come from such a petite woman.

The other performers starring as Titus and Antiochus are silent. They grace us with an enigmatic choreography, which makes us wonder if the rivalry between the two emperors is because they are so close. Cheikh Kebe and Giovanni Manzo are the masterful performers who understood the eternal liturgy of Romeo Castellucci’s vision. Nevertheless, Castellucci likes to say that vision in Greek is pronounced… theatron!

Castellucci’s approach is in fact a combination of styles. When you merge several aesthetics, you obtain a show where the meaning surpasses you. Some props are decorative, such as pictures or the cross where Titus is held during his departure, while others are more symbolic. Iris Van Herpen designed two grand dresses that embody Berenice’s personality.

The first is a beige dress with biomorphic ornaments. That dress made us think we’d be in the presence of a ruthless queen, but she falls. She is in fact a graceful woman whose desire is to be loved by Titus. Then Isabelle wears a red dress with an imposing flowery print. When she declares her farewell in front of the giant red flower, we are transported to a devastated yet beautiful land.