This May large parts of Eastern and Western Europe were reunited as 10 new countries joined the European Union - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia.
And in spite the somewhat confusing assertion of an "old" and a "new" Europe, the leaders of the 25 EU countries finally agreed a compromise document, ending more wrangling over the rules, powers and authority.
Another step into an unknown future.
"New Plays From Europe 2004", also known as the "Theaterbiennale Wiesbaden" is the only international festival worldwide that exclusively presents plays of contemporary European playwrights in their original language. This year's Biennale that took place from 17th - 27th June 2004 in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt reflected clearly the structure of this newly formed Europe.
Throughout two years, the festival's artistic directors, among them Tankred Dorst, were looking for new plays in exciting productions to present a selection of works.
Playwrights in all European countries supported this search for the best new plays. In every country, a "patron", a well-experienced, renowned playwright, gave recommendations to the festival's artistic directors and accompanies his countries' selected productions at the festival, thus representing his country.
The invitations ranged from Yasmina Reza's new play "Une Piece Espagnole", staged by Luc Bondy, the political Spanish theatre satire "The marvellous Altarpiece" as well as plays from countries like Albania, Iceland, Romania, Norway, Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, Serbia-Montenegro, Sweden, Estonia, and Turkey.
The focus of the festival was indeed on the countries that joined the European Union on the 1st of May 2004. A gathering of, assumptively, the best European theatre has to offer. And, as the programme describes it:
" Our experience gives us confidence that language is not an obstacle and that those individuals who are open, curious and constantly seeking culture and enrichment are refreshed. We also know that theatre goers travel a lot and have a large interest in other cultures in Europe".
Fair enough.
Going through the description of the plays however, I was not refreshed but rather irritated. Theatre as the reflection of reality? Are we talking about a "European reality" if anything could be defined as such? Is there anything like a "European reality"?
The European Theatre Convention (ETC), a network created in 1988, has launched in 2002 a project called "Theatres of Europe: mirror of Refugee populations" subsidized in the framework of Culture 2000 of the European Commission.
Europe: mirror of Refugee populations?
There is still much discussion going on and many obstacles to be overcome on the path towards a United Europe. This is also one of the aims of the ETC "to participate to the opening of a United Europe which preserves its diversity and understands that its languages are a source of enrichment and not of division".
Lets hope for that diversity and for many more European theatre festivals yet to come.
In the tradition and the spirit of each culture separately and hopefully far away from "A United States of Europe".
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