Theatre-3 on theatrical workshops  in Salzburg

Salzburg welcomed us with a sleepy Sunday morning. We headed for Sandwirt hotel near the railway station. Although the registration in the hotel started at twelve, we were invited for breakfast and offered a temporary room. 

The beginning of the workshops and meeting with Herbert Gantschacher and Horst Dittrich, the organisers of our visit in Salzburg, was planned for the evening since ARBOS was performing in an other city. So we decided to go sightseeing. The wonderful and sunny weather was making both the picturesque alleys and the sweeping panorama of city, seen from the Hill of the Capuchins, even more colourful. The way to the hill was rather narrow and steep. On its sides were situated stony shrines – Stations of the Cross. Then we came across a small graveyard covered with grass and moist moss. Most of the lettering on the tombstones had rubbed away, the porcelain medallions faded away. Only few big boards above family vaults have been renovated.

We crossed the bridge over the Salazach river and we couldn’t believe that a few years earlier it burst its banks, the river-bed was so deep. We took a few steps forward along the narrow streets and we stood before the house, in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. The memory of the great composer was visible almost everywhere. Especially at the instance of marchpane balls, packed in boxes with the likeness of Mozart on them, which were sold almost in every shop. 

We were really impressed by the houses located in the neighbourhood of steep and rocky hills situated in the centre of the town. On our way back we came across a few curiosities. On a car-park, there was a computer installed. It looked like a mail box and was used to sending e-mails. So we had the chance to read the e-mail from the Theatre Quest from Washington, addressed to the Theatre-3. 

In the evening we met Herbert Gantschacher – the director and initiator of the Theatre ARBOS, and his assistant Horst Dittrich, who’s responsible for adapting finger language for the theatre.

We headed for the Theatre Toihaus, where the workshops were going to take place. It was there, where in 2002 during the III European and International Festival of the Theatres of the Deaf took place a preview of the spectacle “Man and two worlds” performed by the Theatre-3, before the premiere in Vienna. 

When the workshops started we had to forget about our tiredness caused by the journey and the whole day walking. The first exercise was a physical training. Herbert demanded a maximum of concentration. 

The following days were devoted to practising the control over our own bodies and minds. Many exercises caused us difficulties. We quickly understood that we couldn’t count on any laxity. The aim of the workshops was to show us how working in a professional theatre looks like. We had to acquire exercises made especially for the deaf actors based on experiences of the Theatre ARBOS. The duration of the exercises depended on our progress. The atmosphere in the group was sometimes strained, but we tried to help each other. 

Not all of the mimes from the Theatre-3 came to Salzburg. In the workshops took part: Anna Olczak, Hanna Łazar, Arkadiusz Pałatyński, Piotr Nowak, Józef Pałac and Hubert Bartłomiejski. Olgierd Koczorowski was filming everything with a camera and Jerzy Kałużny watched over everything .

Beside the workshops, we watched four rehearsals and three performances of the Theatre ARBOS. In the spectacle ‘A stone in the pocket’ performed two actors Werner Moessler and Klaus Seewald. Both of them played a few characters, smoothly changing their costumes, the way of moving, mimicry, voice and gestures. One of the hearing actors delivered his lines, and the deaf was saying it in finger language. 

On the last day of the workshops everyone of us had to explain, how he had understood the play and present their review. Then Werner Moessler leaded a lesson of physical exercises, using his knowledge of the muscles and the human body. His profession is a masseur.

Almost everyday we visited the places where we hadn’t been before. In the evenings, the alleys and squares were full of colourful lights and the decorations were announcing the approach of Christmas. In few places small fairs, where we were able to buy cookies, honey-cakes and souvenirs, were organised. The smell of mulled wine was spreading all around. On one of the squares was a skating-rink, where you could also borrow the equipment. There was just one thing that was missing. Although it was the beginning of December, the aura reminded rather autumn or early spring than winter. There was neither frost nor snow. 

We admired the marvellously illuminated city from the walls of the citadel Hohen-Salzburg rising above the city. The citadel was situated on a hill and we got there by cable railway. At this time of year the citadel’s courts were almost empty. In a small room, where projection of the film took place, we became acquainted with the history of that place. We’ve seen the staging of the knightly tournaments played in summer.

Before our departure, we also visited the Centre of the Culture of the Deaf. 

We finally managed to meet Santa Claus, who was endowing children with sweets, and two hairy devils having hideous masks on their faces. They held lashes in their hands and had tin boxes on their backs, which made a terrible noise as they were jumping around. It’s a local tradition and attraction. We also watched the show with the devils in one of the department stores. All of those who were there - children, youth and adults, had a great time. 

The time of our home-coming approached. The return journey lasted the whole night. 

In Szczecin we were welcomed by sunny and frosty weather and streets covered with snow. 

On a meeting in our Community Centre– ‘Kontakty’ in the Polish Association of the Deaf, in which took part the employees of the association and all mimes, we summed up not only the workshops in Salzburg but the whole year, which had been successful for the Theatre-3. The exercises we were doing during workshops have taken on and we’ve started training in this way on our rehearsals. We all realise there is still a lot of work to do.

HHubert Bartłomiejski 
Photographs: Jerzy Kałużny and Olgierd Koczorowski

2/2004