On the occasion of Donald Kitt's participation in the 13th Handmade & Recycled Theatre Festival – Osmosis, the multifaceted artist speaks to CultureNow about Sisyphus, Leonardo da Vinci and the inexhaustible relationship between theatre, body and creation. 

By Christina Manolakaki, CultureNow (Greece) 

Theatre must continue to protect the space of uncertainty and discovery

On the occasion of the presentation of "Fool in the Full Moon" (20/09, 21:00) and his new directorial work "Sisyphus – flesh and earth" in Greece, we chat with Donald Kitt. A multidimensional artist, actor, director and member of the historic Odin Teatret, who has been experimenting with physical and ritual theatre for decades, while transmitting his knowledge and experience to new generations of artists.

As part of the 13th Handmade & Recycled Theater Festival – Osmosis edition, Kitt will also hold the workshop "Feats of Performance – A process in search of hidden meanings", an intensive process of exploring interpretation and hidden meanings in theatrical practice. "Feats of Performance" (25 – 26 – 27/09, 14:15 – 17:00).

-Leonardo da Vinci has gone down in history as "homo universalis". Do you think that today's man can attempt something similar? Are there any connections to the theatre you do?

I cannot make such a profound statement that answers what you ask. But I believe that Leonardo da Vinci had a fantastic career in both the arts and sciences. Our time may allow for the emergence of such a man, but the need and speed have changed radically. In my own work, research and process are not urgent, but necessary. Perhaps the connection lies in this same spirit of curiosity and exploration – where art, body and imagination come together to create something that resists classification and embraces many fields.

-The title "Fool in the Full Moon" playfully provokes the audience's imagination and creates an image as if from a fairy tale. Can you tell us how it came about, why you ultimately chose it, and were you concerned about the fact that it had to stay in English, even when performing in front of a non-native English-speaking audience?

I had a few titles that included the word "fool," but this one touched me because it had the feel of a lonely journey. The words in the title are easily understood in all languages. In my many years with Odin Teatret and my team in Canada, we translated the performances into various languages ​​(Danish, English, Italian, Spanish, and French), knowing that we could tour without subtitles. The show is built so that the rhythm helps to anchor and convey the meaning. I trusted that this title could travel too. My only regret is that I was unable to translate it into Greek, where it might have found an additional conceptual dimension.

-I read in your resumé that you train new stilt walkers. How would you describe your physicality in this performance? And will we actually see you "fly"?

The training I've been involved in for these 40 years has given me many opportunities to "fly." I'm used to pushing myself beyond my limits, and like flying, it catapults me into the unknown. My physicality in this performance is not just about movement but also how the body coordinates with the voice, with the rhythm, with the silence. So yes, in a way you'll see me flying — not with wings, but with presence, imagination, and the suspension of disbelief that theatre offers.

-As an instructor, what is the most important lesson you try to impart to your students?

I am adamant that they should leave with tangible tools to explore their own path in theatre. If I could teach instinct, that would be a real achievement. What I am trying to share is discipline, awareness and the courage to take risks. These lessons are not fixed: they are things you rediscover, reinterpret and re-create as you live. I also hope that they learn to trust the body as much as logic, and to find their own voice within the great theatrical tradition.

-In the organization you will also direct Fanis Katechos in "Sisyphus – flesh and earth". How do you approach the myth of Sisyphus in this joint venture of yours?

I felt that we should approach him as we see a condemned man — condemned to eternal repetition, to a struggle with himself. We are the owners of our lives, but many times we move around carrying all the unnecessary weight. On the contrary, each of us must interpret and apply our own ideas in our own way, to find tools to survive the contradictions and uncertainties of existence. With Fanis, I wanted to explore not only the punishment but also the dignity of struggle, the poetry of repetition and the humanity that persists even in the face of an impossible task.

-Do you think that our creativity is influenced by the ease offered by artificial intelligence, or do you see it as a tool that can help man realize what he has imagined?

I would not like to judge something that I know little about. It has become the new cliché – the warning that the sky will fall if we let it dominate our lives. It may be a didactic tool, but it would be unfortunate if its use were to become the norm. I don't see the arts needing some convenience, a shortcut to the "result." Because it seems to eliminate many steps that are fundamental to the process of creation. Creativity thrives in resistance, in mistakes, in detours. Accepting the mysteries of life is part of what makes it worthwhile, and I believe that theatre must continue to protect this space of uncertainty and discovery.

Translated from Greek by Google 

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