Alfonsina
Lab Reseach Theatre Company
Presents
Alfonsina
Directed By Pedro
Ilgenfritz
4-6 March, 8.00pm
Gryphon
Theatre, 22 Ghuznee St
Door Sales $14
WWW.FRINGE.ORG.NZ
Alfonsina
is the underdog, a heroine clown who simply cannot avoid
trouble!
Alfonsina is a comic depiction of
the adventures and misfortunes of a young Argentinean
cleaner facing the social, economic and cultural challenges
of migrating to Auckland in search of a new life.
Escaping the harsh suburbs of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
straight to downtown Auckland, Alfonsina manages to find a
job cleaning offices. She quickly meets another cleaner, her
neighbour Hera. Hera introduces Alfonsina to Tracy, a former
cleaner who is now the boss of the cleaning company she
works for and who is torn between her point of view as an
employer and her compassionate support of her employees.
BACKGROUND
LAB: Research Theatre Company
is a permanent acting laboratory engaged in the research of
actors’ training and the creation of theatre shows.
Alfonsina is the first performance outcome of
our research.
We are influenced by the works of the
theatre masters Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Copeau, Brecht,
Grotowski, Mnouchkine and others who managed to develop
their work and theories because they had a permanent group
of actors that worked together uninterrupted for a long
period. They were engaged in rigorous theatre research
intended to break through new areas of theatre practice,
challenging paradigms and investigate the essence of drama;
they worked continuously on rediscovering the basic laws
that govern life on stage and became famous not only because
of the quality and originality of their productions, but
also because of their contribution to the systematic
approach of theatre making.
Likewise, our ambition is to
become a reference point in this approach to theatre - a
company that produces quality drama and a centre of theatre
investigation. Both areas are developed simultaneously by
continuity of research, creating shows, exchanging
experiences with other theatre companies, directors and
scholars through festivals, conferences.
COMMUNITY
DISCUSSION - THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE
The dialogue
between both communities (New Zealand and South American) in
the field of arts is growing substantially in the last
years.
This project will explore the connections between
both cultures and discuss the impact of immigration by South
Americans to New Zealand, and facilitate exchange between
both cultures in terms of arts and academic practice.
Alfonsina started a dialogue with the audience
by discussing the question of social, economic and cultural
dislocation using the story of an Argentinean immigrant to
New Zealand as a focal point.
The sense of cultural
dislocation is an experience that affects a large part of
the population in this country with South Americans being
one of the newest ethnic groups that compose the fabric of
the New Zealand immigrant
population.
ENDS