Chronicle by Georgea-Elena Ștefan
The Mountain is a show that combines historical events, fictional stories, and multimedia elements. The included references are carefully chosen. Among them: George Mallory's last Mount Everest expedition in 1924 – itself a mystery regarding Mallory's reaching the top, Orson Welles' radio show – an example that shows us the ease with which people can be manipulated by the information they consume. Vladimir Putin is the character who reminds us that contemporary political discourses generate scepticism about the intentions of politicians. All these elements highlight the difficulty of discerning the truth from the false in a world that is full of news.
The stage consists of simple elements: panels on which various images are projected with data about the Everest expedition, the radio show and Putin's speech. They also have the role of obscuring what we can see on stage, hence the question of whether we can trust what is presented to us or not. Some surfaces contain miniatures of Mount Everest, the city with the alien invasion, and Mallory's lifeless body. The models serve to outline the story, through cameras manipulated by the actors, while the images are projected. The miniatures also draw attention to the way in which the information we consume can be just the creation of people. A drone occasionally appears on the stage, alluding to the idea of surveillance and manipulation – here is another reference to the digital environment that fragments reality.
The distinction between true and false information, with reality being regarded as something relative, is the crucial point. The show explores the idea of our perception that can be changed by technology and media. Thus, the world we know, the one in which we trust blindly, ceases to exist, and a new world is born in which mistrust prevails. The visible world receives countless filters. “Do we actually see the world as it is?” seems like a legitimate question.
Thus, the installation urges us to reflect on the truth of the world we live in and to ask ourselves if what we see is reality or just a distortion of the information with which we interact.
The Mountain is an exciting and profound show that combines historical narratives with philosophical contemplation. It questions truth and reality, while inviting the audience to reflect.
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“Ph[r]ases”- Creative Formulas is a programme conceived by Diana Katharina and Daniela Șilindean together with the team of the German State Theatre Timișoara, dedicated to the theatre chronicle within the Eurothalia 2023 European Theatre Festival, held between 20-30 September 2023, financed by the National Cultural Program Timișoara - European Capital of Culture in 2023.
