GABRIEL CHAMÉ

GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Synopsis
“Always Shakespeare. What´s comical is tragic, so tragic that it is comical, or whatever we dare
to do for hate and jealousy”.
Four actors, specialists in physical theater, clown and burlesque interpret the famous tragedy by
William Shakespeare, Othello.
Within a setting fully stripped of any every day realism, physical games and the English drama
master´s white verse converge and confront througout a playfull, hilarious, absurd language.
Respecting Othelo´s original text, its poetry and dramatic tension, I dive inside of the characters
intentions using commedy gags and providing sinister irony to the tragedy. I investigate, without
solemnity, the relationship between the tragic and the comical, as keys to clasical and
contemporary theatre.
Othelo is current and questions me about: love and loyalty, racism, greed, domestic violence,
envy, jealousy, scientific coldness and/or passionate belief. What is it for us a “neager”, a liar,
revenge?
Othelo is an evil mirage in wich you see nothing but sand while getting closer to it. Or your own
tragicomedy.
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Staging
Dramaturgical reaserch criteria and staging
Mirages and blindness: The deceiving knitted by Yago on Othelo and the other characters
generates a tragedy that, in the eyes of a comedian, is fertile ground for the most authentic
drama that exists: human stupidity or psicology of personality destruction, "what we dare to do
for hate and jealousy."
The open, undefined and suggestive space, allows us to play with the real and the fictional, the
visible and the invisible. What appears to be but is not. Mirages.
The use of multimedia and the amplified sound reveal the microscopic intimacy of the
characters projected on the screen. The audience sees two levels: what happens on stage and
at the same time, a close up of the character's face detailing a cinematic intimacy.
The acting game, individually or within a chorus, recreates spaces, objects and the cities of
Venice and Cyprus with its gondolas, balconies, boats, seas, beaches, docks, etc..
The fourth wall does not exist in this proposal. The relationship with the audience is open, we
are in this fiction and in this present representation, generating complicity with the spectator,
making it part of the story, leading them to identify with the tragedy and humor.
In this version of Othello I question myself, without solemnity, about the relationship between the
tragic and the comic as the keys to classical and contemporary theater.
The poetical approached by playful simplicity, a developement of the visual aspect associated
with a physical, hilarious and absurd display. The mixture of Shakespearean poetry and the
game of four players reeling Othelo motivate us to present a work rich by its games, its visual
impact and an unbeatable dramatic structure.
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Creative process
It´s been 24 years, in parallel with my creations, since I started questioning myself and
reaserching clasical texts through the comical language, Clown and physical comedy. After all,
the classics are contemporary to Italian Comedia dell arte, bufons and mountbanks. I always felt
like classicals were part of my theatrical language.
In the '80s and early '90s, when I used to work with the company “El Clú del Clown” I woould
transform text into a clownish game. But from my residency in France, watching great directors
like Peter Brook, Ariane Mnouchkine, Robert Lepage, Complicite and Bob Wilson, among
others, and observing their take on Classics at their time, today, I surched for my own way
through a language of physical humor, mixing text and pysical game.
Shakespeare was always my main engine and having set up Macbeth, King Lear, Much Ado ...
Love's labour´s lost and The Gentlemen of Verona, it was time for one of my favorites: Othelo.
Aesthetic staging concept
The entire set is in public view, the characters do not leave the scene and everything happens
infornt of the others. For instance Yago can see Othello being alone or sleeping with
Desdemona and even sleep with them without beeing noticed. As Othelo does not listen to Iago
mussings, the actor who plays him can be getting changed to another character and meanwhile
droping one of his evil monologues, creating a thousand possible comic entanglements.
White background, backdrop plastic strips in front, camera in hand: the actors record
themselves and reproduce the images. Thus we see two levels: a theatrical one and a cinematic
level wich in detail exposes the audience to a larger complicity with the character, secrets,
deceit, jealousy, confusion and fear.
Two stand microphones, used at certain times to emphasize what is being said, creating sound
levels and creating gags with the wire and volume.
Finally, water is present in a plastic pool that can be Venice, a Cyprus beach, the marriage bed
...
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Introducing Gabriel Chamé
Argentina 1978-90: Works with La Compañìa Argentina de Mimo (The Argentinian
Mime Company) directed by Angel Elizondo, discipl of Etienne Decroux in París, as Actor
and Director Assistant between 1978-84. Participated in seven shows, censored by the military
dictatorship in Argentina.
Founder and actor of "El Clu del Claun", 1985-90 theatrical clown company that will make Latin
American audiences discover and be delighted by a new aesthetic vision. The group did seven
shows and numerous tours throughout Latin America and Spain.
Since 1990 Gabriel Chamé Buendia: Extends his work in Europe developing theatre research
as an actor, director and teacher. He has conducted numerous courses in Spain France and
Germany. He was a professor at the “Instituto de Teatro de Sevilla”, Study J.C.Corazza,
Laboratory Layton, Study 3, Cristina Rota School in Madrid and in Ecole Nationale du Cirque de
Rosny sous Bois in France, the Samovar in Paris and Cascade. Since 2006 with Hernan Gene
at the “Chamé&Gené estudios teatrales” in Madrid. He has taught prestigious Spanish actors
like Paco Leon, Paz Vega, Alicia Borrachero, Manuel Moron, Alex Odogherty, among others.
Director & Actor:
"Una Temporada en el Infierno" Arthur Rimbaud Dir. Centro George Pompidou, Paris.1990
"Coup de Chance" Dir. Jardin del Hotel de Sully, Paris. 1992 "Ubú Rey" by Alfred Jarry,
Alemania. 1993 "Todo va Vian" Boris Vian, Dir. Teatro Crónico, Sevilla. 1994 "Trabajos de
amor perdidos" Dir. de William Shakespeare, Sevilla. 1995 "Trilogìa del Veraneo" Carlo
Goldoni, Dir. D.S.Marzal, in Buenos Aires. 1997 "La Folie de Isabel" Dir. Carlo Boso, in
Paris.1998 “El Pajaro Verde” by Carlo Gozzi, Dir. Sevilla. 1999 “Los dos hidalgos de
verona” William Shakespeare Dir. Paris, y Madrid. 2002 “Las Criadas”de jean Genet , Dir.
Madrid. 2003 “Marahon“de Claude Confortes co-directed with Tony Canto, Madrid.2003
1999/ 2004: Circo del Soleil, clown in "Quidam" show. Touring Europe, USA, Japon
Since 2005, Llegue para Irme, author, actor, Dir. Along with Alain Gautre, Touring Europe and
Latin America.
2009-2010. “Cuento de Invierno” W. Shakespeare, Dir. Lilo Baur production: Théâtre de la
Ville Paris et Vidy Lausanne Suisse
2011-2012 Clown Cirque Imaginaire, STORM, Touring Spain.
2013. “Othelo” W. Shakespeare directing and adapting. Argentina
In Creation
“Last Call”: “Llegue para Irme”´s sequel 2014 Teatro Nacional Cervantes Argentina.
Film and Television
“Mortadelo y Filemon” Javier Fesser 2012 “La montaña rusa” Emilio Martínez Lázaro,
España 2011 “Muertos de amor” Mikel Aguirresarobe España 2011 "Igualita a mi" Adrian
Suar Argentina 2010 “8 Citas” Peris Romano y Rodrigo Sorogoyen. España 2008 “Impares”
España Televisión antena 3 2009
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Production/Artistic
Cast & Crew
Show
Othelo
Language
Spanish
Audience Rage
All ages
Director
Gabriel Chamé
Performers
Matias Bassi
Julieta Carrera
Hernán Franco
Martín López
Set design
Jorge Pastorino
Lighting design
Jorge Pastorino
Costum design
Gisela Marchetti
Set Assistant
Cecilia Stanovnik
General Assistant
Justina Grande
Executive Producer
Micaela Fariña
Production & distribution
Leila Barenboim y Gabriela Marsal (Mika Project)
Duration
100 minutes
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Prensa
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
GABRIEL CHAMÉ
Awards
Winner of Premios Teatros del Mundo 2013 (Argentina)
Best Adaptation
Best Actor (Martín López Carzolio)
Best Direction
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8-weaq6YWI
Contact / Distribution
www.mikaproject.es
Gabriela Marsal
Leila Barenboim
Mov.+34 658 866 342
Cel.+ 54 155 826 1779
gm@mikaproject.es
lb@mikaproject.es
Barcelona - España
Buenos Aires - Argentina