Dionysus 360 – an experimental performance based on three tragedies by Euripides

Dionysus 360 (directed by Paweł Passini) is an experimental performance co-produced with the Visual Narratives Laboratory, filmed with a 360° camera and based on three tragedies by Euripides: The Phoenician Women, The Suppliants, and The Bacchae. A key aspect of the work is its emphasis on reconstruction and the presentation of the mechanism of character transformation.

The production team studied the previously unexplored sequence of roles played by three ancient actors who created all the characters in the tragedies – for this reason, no more than three characters appear on stage at any one time, not counting the chorus, of course. It turned out that, based on the algorithm of the entrances and exits of individual characters, for most tragedies only one “feasible” combination is possible. The creators´ assumptions that the order of transformations is a carrier of meaning for the entire trilogy, determines the choice of acting techniques, and often directly influences the characters´ behavior on stage, were confirmed. Subsequent acting incarnations give new meaning to the myth evoked in the tragedy, and the chain of transformations binds all the characters played by one actor into a single meta-character. Its successive incarnations fuel each other, often anticipating their appearance on stage, constantly reminding the viewer that someone is hiding behind the mask.

The succession of characters played allows the actor to create space for the next character. It also allows, in the case of a quotation, for the voice of the quoted character, already familiar to the audience, to speak up, suddenly and sharply “disagreeing” with the new mask. Euripides makes his audience aware of how far one can identify with someone else’s fate, joy, or suffering, and encourages them to do so. This extraordinary internalization of the fates of different people takes place according to certain rules. Discovering and understanding them through acting practice is the subject of this project.

Referring to the working methods of ancient actors, and responding to the current epidemic, Paweł Passini and his team decided to try a new way of working on acting scores. Each of the actors worked in isolation – the first and only joint meeting took place during the premiere. Working in isolation, mostly confined to their homes, the actors were forced to place the greatest emphasis on the interpretation of the text and characterization, but also on understanding the mechanism of change. The need to leave space for their partner, to anticipate their presence in their actions, the effectiveness of which was only verified on the day of the premiere, in front of the audience, allowed the producers to gain a deeper understanding of the craft of ancient actors.

Thanks to the use of VR technology, the audience is invited to actively participate in the performance, to look around the stage. Acoustically, they are still at the heart of the action, and thanks to the omnidirectional cameras, they can decide for themselves which actor to follow with their eyes, whom to observe at any given moment. This kind of audience involvement in the performance creates a completely new form of reception, which, paradoxically, brings us closer to our ancient predecessors.