The project starts from a personal dilemma. My 14-year-old daughter asks, "Mummy. Palestine and Israel, that violence, I don't understand. Who should I be for?" I answer as best I can as a mother. But what artistic means as a maker of youth theatre are at my disposal to raise moral issues?
As a symbol figure within moral conflicts, the archetype villain is representative of that which a society considers its dark side. Although moral frameworks are rarely completely clear. Orientation in this ambiguous field often happens through simplification and a representation of the villain in easily recognisable performances. However, stereotyping in aesthetics and characterisation is also a traditional theatrical means of approaching dramatic conflict. Deconstruction of stereotypes brings nuance entrenched patterns of thought but also raises questions about narrative in drama.
From literature study with a focus on the 'villainousness' of some notorious villains, insights from philosophy, anthropology and psychology, and archival research, the project then consists of practice as research through the creation process of a lecture performance for adolescents. A mentor class (4th secondary) accompanies the process as a focus group. Through an audio log with participant observations, video recordings of the creation process and the focus group discussions, the research attempts to distil findings that formulate an answer to the research question: How much deconstruction can the villain handle without losing its role as ‘evil’ archetype in podium practice? The research results will be shared in master classes with students of the Conservatoire (Educational master Drama and bachelor Drama), among others.
