Misanthrofreak

Misanthrofreak is a multimedia and performative play by Grupo Desvio, which deals with themes of failure, error, and the struggle of making decisions, in a poetic and pathetic way. It follows a character as he tries, through the tension of his memories and ideas, to tell his story to the audience. His frustrations in not being able to speak or express himself create a narrative that uses silence as propulsion for the story. Inspired by Samuel Beckett’s The Unnamable, the play’s narrative comes from the character’s uneasy subjectivism clashing with the real world’s objectiveness. After a pandemic time, the actor-character decides to leave.

With barely any dialogue, the play focuses on visual cues. It seeks to increase the audience’s perception of the stage and the actor in the scene. Through the use of projections at different depths on stage, videos are organically integrated into the scenes becoming part of the scenery, and in some instances, the main focus of the scene.

A solo act in which director and actor Rodrigo Fischer transitions between the theatrical and cinematographic space through his interaction with technology that allows him to control lights, sound, camera, and projection. The audiovisual expressions reinforce, complement, and oppose the theatrical discourse giving the audience an amplified sensorial experience. The use of new technology intensifies the senses composing a multimedia art piece in which technology organically complements the acting.

In spite of the complexities of conceptualizing the show, its set up is effortless. All the set up and execution was created with the goal of optimizing time and financial resources: pre-programmed projections; lighting, sound, and projections controlled by the actor in scene through remote controls and movement sensors; only a two person’s technical crew; and a minimalistic set-design composed of small objects and furniture located within the stage.

Writer, director, actor, sound, and light: Rodrigo Fischer

Assistant Director: Moema Umann

Video designer: Brent Felker e Fernando Gutiérrez

Costume: Diana Diniz

Video makers: Peter Azen e Juliano Chiquetto

Production: Grupo Desvio