Mountshannon, Ireland. From July 10 to 14, the Goetheanum hosted the Theater Festival. There, director Paul Brennan staged a new production of Three Short Plays by Lady Gregory. An interview with actor Danijel Grcevic.
What is the performance about?
These are three short pieces by Lady Gregory on themes of karma, destiny, and the recognition of Christ and the sacrifice he made. We have staged them as short mystery dramas set against the backdrop of the political struggles for Irish independence at the beginning of the last century.
What topics and questions are you researching?
Following the Christmas Conference in 1923, the Austrian doctor Karl König originally wanted to implement the “New Medicine” that had been initiated there in Ireland by caring for children in need of assistance. At the time, the Irish government rejected König’s request to find a home for the initiative in Ireland. And so Scotland became the birthplace of the worldwide Camphill movement. Later, the impulse found its way back to Ireland, and many of the Camphill communities, for a time, led a good life on the soft Irish pastures. In terms of cultural life, Castalia Hall was the crown jewel of the Irish Camphill movement, a building with a unique octagonal architecture, named after the spring of Delphi. Mainstream productions were staged there alongside König’s plays. One of these productions was “Three Short Plays” by Lady Gregory.
What influence does Rudolf Steiner’s Drama Course have on your work?
It has a direct influence through the application of the methodology it describes and indirectly through the historical fact that the Drama Course took place in the same year as the Curative Education Course and the Agricultural Course, which opened up a whole new stage for the flowering of the creative Word.
More Theater Festival at the Goetheanum
Translation Charles Cross
Image Painting by AE Russel
