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about ta
At Toneelgroep Amsterdam, tradition and innovation go
hand in hand. They are the pillars of a company that is constantly
in motion and presents itself explicitly at the heart of Amsterdam,
the Stadsschouwburg at Leidseplein.
TA is the largest theatre company in the Netherlands and is led
by director Ivo van Hove. Since he was appointed in 2001, he has
paved the way for an urban company with international allure with
his series of sensational shows and by attracting different
directors from the Netherlands, as well as from other countries.
The core of the company consists of 22 quality actors, making it
possible to keep shows in their repertoire.
history
TA was founded in 1987. It is a merger between two companies from
the capital city, the Publiekstheater and Toneelgroep Centrum.
Gerardjan Rijnders, who was the artistic leader at that time, was
the first to remove experimental theatre from the margins and place
avant-garde on the country's primary stage: Stadsschouwburg
Amsterdam. His successor Ivo van Hove continues along this line.
Together with designer Jan Versweyveld, he breaks through the
restrictions of the large theatre and steps out of the frame, if
the performance calls for it. The playhouse ('schouwburg') as a
location where the natural distance between actor and audience is
removed and the relationship between fiction and reality is defined
in a new way.
urban theatre company
TA has developed into an urban theatre company performing in the
already existing theatre and the new Rabozaal theatre at the
Stadsschouwburg since 2009. It is a base for meeting artists from
the Netherlands as well as from other countries. Amsterdam as the
core of a global village where both local and global changes
continue to fuel people's ideas about art and theatre. TA produces
performances that are up-to-date without explicitly reacting to
political and social developments. Theatre as a sanctuary for being
confronted with the unknown: the unknown in ourselves, in others,
in society. But above all, theatre needs to be a party in honour of
chaos, where the irrational and the illogical are celebrated.
multitude of stage languages
The multitude of stage languages remains fundamental. TA produces
reinterpretations of classic repertoire, new texts and crossovers
with music, design and dance. By frequently teaming up with other
companies, such NTGent and Toneelhuis, artistic cross connections
are created. Apart from Ivo van Hove, TA also works with prominent
guest directors from different countries, such as Thomas
Ostermeier, Grzegorz Jarzyna, Johan Simons, Luk Perceval, Krzysztof
Warlikowski and Christoph Marthaler.
During the coming years, eleven visionary and distinctive directors
will be making their own special creations. What connects these new
and internationally renowned directors is their belief that theatre
is essential within a society that is more disparate and diverse
than ever. They all share a concern about the place of man in this
continually changing society.
Ivo van Hove has developed his own specific style:
strong emotionality and psychological empathy, accompanied by a
design in which videos and music play an important part. It regards
multimedia projects as well as intimate performances of (forgotten)
classics and film scripts.
Thomas Ostermeier is a master of translating
repertoire from the late 19th century to our current society and
uses a clear, filmic style.
In robust shows where text, image and live music go hand in hand,
Johan Simons seeks an alarming confrontation with current social
developments.
Luk Perceval aims for an optimal emotional
efficiency of the text with minimal resources. In his anti-theatre,
averse to coquettish entertainment, he looks for the dark sides of
man.
The stage language of Guy Cassiers is timid in a
grand way and takes place on the border between video installation
and theatre.
Grzegorz Jarzyna edits largely classic and modern
texts. The struggle of man to escape his origin and upbringing and
to build his own identity forms the core of his theatrical
odyssey.
Thibaud Delpeut makes strictly directed, intensely
realistic shows. In his own way of reading theatre classics, he
lets everything revolve around human dilemma.
In his shows, Eric de Vroedt takes a careful look at political and
current social themes. He uses a fast, fragmented stage language
full of humour.
Susanne Kennedy makes rigorous adaptations of
classics in an abstract and physical form of performance, full of
poetic and nightmarish images.
Jacob Derwig works with a careful analysis of
texts and looks for the balance between a deeply emotional and
tragicomic composition.
Julie Van den Berghe aims for a pure, minimalistic
style. She looks for extremes in form: both playful and baroque,
both jubilant and gloomy.
TA-2
TA-2 - the platform of TA in cooperation with Toneelschuur
Producties and Frascati Producties for developing talented
directors - has released seven theatre productions since 2007.
Three plays directed by Thibaud Delpeut: Britannicus (Jean Racine),
Antigone-Kreon-Oidipous (an adaptation of the Theban tragedies by
Sophocles) and All My Sons (Arthur Miller), two directed by Eric de
Vroedt: A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams) and Glengarry
Glen Ross (David Mamet), Rahomon-effect directed by Joachim
Robbrecht and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Tennessee Williams) directed
by Jacob Derwig. In 13|14, Julie Van den Berghe will make her TA-2
debut with Lorca's Blood Wedding. The multiannual partnership is
aimed at developing the directorship step by step, with both
alliance partners using their expertise and putting an emphasis on
work within larger organisations. Meanwhile,
Antigone-Kreon-Oidipous, Glengarry Glen Ross and All My Sons have
made it to the big theatre. In the years to come, TA will continue
to invest in talented directors: TA-2 as a breeding ground for the
directors of the future.
TA alliance
We are aware of the responsibility we have for the Dutch theatre
world and have been forming alliances for many years with creators
whose artistic work is completely autonomic and we take care of
their business leadership, sales, marketing and administration.
This is how we linked up with Adelheid Roosen / Female Economy and
Stichting Thibaud Delpeut.
Female Economy
Based on the conception that everything turns out to be an
illusion, Female Economy Foundation is working on a new economic
idea: 'Come near, just come to me' / Hélène Cixous. In order to
translate this illusion economically, FE reaches out to
interculturalism and looks for the thorns and the flower, to
display them within the world of art and culture.
> to the
Female Economy website
Stichting Thibaud Delpeut
For Thibaud Delpeut, theatre is a sanctuary where audiences can go
to experience something that is often impossible to experience in
everyday life. A place where there is space for feelings and
thoughts and where confrontation and emotion connect. As a
director, he involves the audience in this inescapable experience.
It can turn out to be different each time, but is always expressed
with ardour and intensity and without compromise. The intensity of
his shows comes from this ardour of his: from the belief in the
saving power of art. That is why there is always a moment of
comfort and hope.
> to the
Stichting Thibaud Delpeut website
Toneelgroep Amsterdam is structurally supported by the Ministry
of Education, Culture and Science and the City of Amsterdam.
The Supervisory Board consists of Tineke Bahlmann, Noraly Beyer,
Wouter Bos, Rutger Koopmans (chairman) and Ruud Nederveen.