The Publix Theatre Favoriten

plays
Street theatre and "fun guerilla"
Culture caravan and publix theatre caravan
Hubsi Kramer on publix theatre Favoriten


The organizers and co-travellers of the publixTheatrecaravan are a very heterogeneous group, they come from different cultural and political environments. Still it was mainly members of the publixTheatre Favoriten who initiated the formation of the caravan.
The independent stage and street theatre group formed in 1994. The "residence" of the publix Theatre Favoriten is the Ernst Kirchweger house in Vienna`s distrist Favoriten. In this political cultural centre the rehearsals and most of the performances of the theatre group are held. There were "away matches", too: the play "Schluß mit lustig" (no more joking) the theatre group develloped, a sombre anticipation of the political change in Austria, was performed first in the Schauspielhaus Vienna in decembre 1999.

The pulix theatre Favoriten does not have a permanent cast. There are no directors, the plays are develloped in common in long discussions and never without disparity of views.



Plays

The first production was "The Threepenny Opera" (autumn 1994 and september 1995), up until now there were performances of "Penthesilea" (march 1996), "We can´t pay? We won´t pay" (june-november 1996, "Chor der Werkstätigen und Nichtwerkstätigen" (chorus of the working and the not working) (winter 1996), "EKHberet" (january 1997) "Theatercollagen" (theatre collages) (march 28th and 29th 1997), "Der Auftrag" (the commission) (may/june and october 1997) and "Schluss mit Lustig" (no more joking) (december 1999)  

Street theatre and "fun guerrilla"

Apart from this big plays the publix theatre sees itself as an actionist group trying to prove political responsibility and moral courage by artistically intervening - spontaneously or planned - in public space.
A few of the street theatre actions of the publix theatre: crossing the danuve channel (spring 1995), army parade (october 26th 1995), matamorphile hexaphonium (spring 1996), demonstration against the government´s cuts on social payment (april 1996), street theatre on the occasion of processes against people who signed an appeal to refuse to obey orders in the army (fete of Bewegung Rotes Wien in june 1996) Krems: performance of the play "We can´t pay? We won't pay!" on the street (july 1996), "Auf zur großen Grenzschutzaktion" (let's go for the big frontier protection action) (april 26th 1997). "Spendenaufruf für die europäische Sicherheit" (call for charity for european safety) on the army parade (october 26th 1999)  

Culture caravan and publix theatre caravan

In summer 2000 the idea emerged to form a caravan to advance the political actionism of the publix theatre. As a part of the "cultural caravan through Carinthia and Styria", that held cultural events in villages and little towns in Carinthia and Styria and international resistance days in Klagenfurt the caravan moved through the country. The aim was to combine theatrical actions and information. The caravan left monuments with the inscription "no border no nation - for an open carinthia, for an open europe" in it's wake. The publix theatre caravan of summer 2001 was a resumption of this idea.  

Hubsi Kramer on publix theatre Favoriten

Two stages mark publix theatre:

1) The contemporary avantguardistic theatre group in the EKH, where publix theatre created successfull projects such as The Threepenny Opera, Penthesilea, "Der Auftrag (the commission)" (Heiner Müller) and Dario Fo's "We won´t pay! We won´t pay!". The PUBLIX THEATRE IS A MOST POLITICALLY AWARE AND SOCIOCRITICAL artists group that has been rather successfull in a very short period of time, with a growing audience. They gained mostly young people as an audience for theatre. They were so successfull that a few members were engaged by other renowned theatres like Burgtheater - director Einar Schleef in "Sportstück", the Schauspielhaus and others.

2nd stage:
Their political awareness was such that they - according to the principles of SITE SPECIFIC Theatre - left the usual performing areas to give their theatrical answers in public space, at varying places ,address themselves at a public audience and give an theatrical answer to the problems of globalisation with the help of theatrical means and ideas with the international, frontier crossing PUBLIX THEATRE - NO BORDER TOUR. Glorification of violence was never their message SITE SPECIFIC theatre has grown during the last years and become a broad international theatre movement. It essentially involves staging theatrical actions in ever-varying locations, such as abandoned docks or public places, as required by their contents.
It´s a frontier crossing form of theatre throughout. The performers are all kinds of artists, in accordance with the statement that shall be made. There are actors and actresses from all walks of life, jugglers, singers, acrobats, barkers, pantomimists and so on...
As it is necessary in such groups to act on limited means creativity in all fields, such as stage and costumes, is most important. The results and effects are amazing. Globalization does revolutionize the theatrical sector as well.
I myself saw the Threepenny Opera und was carried away, by the mise en scene as well as the artistic presentation. Dramaturgy, musical realization, actors and actresses, stage, costumes, it really was a great success, by a very young unknown ensemble.
With the most minimalist means the publix theatre realized this extensive play in a way that impressed me very much. The audience was electrified, for hours afterwards most of the audience stayed on and sang and danced to the live music of the ensemble, the music of the Threepenny Opera. It was a FUN-FAIR. This performance of the Threepenny Opera by publix theatre is one of the most beautiful theatre experiences of my not too short theatre live.

With best regards Hubsi Kramar, author, director and actor