Paroxysm of Film Noir

Author: Alex S. DeFazio
Director: Laura Butler Rivera
Choreographer: Deniz Atlı
Performers: Başak Çetin, Berk Cem Göksel, Can Yaşar, Deniz Atlı, Gökçer Gülbahar, Laura Butler Riviera
Lighting design: Emrah Yıldız
Performance photos: Volkan Aykaç
Platform Dance Theatre – PDT
Lasts app. 40’

This is a physical theatre play, which is about black and white crime movies, popular in Hollywood during 1940s and 1950s. The play includes role exchanges by the characters during the performance; thus different genders playing each other’s roles. At first, the play begins with physical expressions of classical acting of the related period, and then variations in their body languages are used as the scenes continue and the characters change while turning movements into expression by dancing. With this approach, the performance transforms from drama to comedy genre. Director and theatre artist Laura Butler Riviera wants to explore so called ‘Paroxysm’ (a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity) within the play of storytelling. At the same time she is playing with gender and Archetypes with this full of vim and challenging play; what is viewed differently when gender roles are ‘rearranged’.

This physical theatre play is performed in Tatbikat Sahnesi, 5th Bilkent University International Theatre Festival and 1st Deli Sanat Short Plays Festival.