Manuel is a building site. A work in progress, a jumble. by Manuel-Arnaud Churin
about Manuel on Stage
At first the author takes us into a manual, written in every language. But a manual has no author, it is anonymous, like some masterpieces of ancient music. Yet, in dramatic writing, characters are supposed to escape their inventors. Thus the author who seeks anonymity will be over passed. Manuel will become the Manual character, he will have a "by himself". Because a speech is embodied the moment it is brought on stage, even when it comes from a manual.
It is therefore a conference, in different languages, in which the subject is from turn to turn books, radio, language, all things to be used according to an instructions book.
It makes us slide in an enunciation of fantasy data and the conference enchants itself with crossings. Sometimes rather linguistic exercice for "Manuel de lalalangue", others rather "Manuel of radio listening (to me)", the text evolves depending on the frames where it is presented, depending on the progress of the work process and its processing(s).
Very concretely the project can be summarized this way: a handful of actors have decided to accompany Alvaro García de Zúñiga in a process of dramatic writing in progression.
In may 2009 we have progressed in this process, in the Maison de la Poésie, in Paris where Manuel for three days long, taught us how to use poetry, music, theatre in the radio that is a theatre, that in fact is a radio, and finally a manual of language, a concerto to conference in every language, almost.
Then in Lisbon – world crossroad / programmed by the city townhall.
Other pages in this site about Manuel :
Manuel Lasuite & Already manualized...
and :
Manuel à la Maison de la Poésie, or Manuel of home-made poetry