CANTUS GESTUALIS #,
Introitus, 2022

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

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Macbeth, Shakespeare. 

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Cantus gestualis was the name given in the Middle Ages to literary compositions intended to be sung or recited aloud and that narrated the events and deeds of the kings and heroes of the times, as well as the martyrdoms of saints. Audiences that heard these accounts of the pain and suffering of such remarkable people were thus able to put their own trials and tribulations into perspective, and hence cope with them better. 

 

Based on this concept, in Cantus Gestualis # Introitus we create a story that revolves around the relationship between theatre and death and how these two spaces fit into our daily lives. But we do this without losing sight of the humorous side, working with two non-professional women of over seventy-five years who, in the wake of our latest creations, will lead this whole show. 

 

Assuming the same role as the ancients of bygone days, these performers will question what “cantus” and “gestualis” mean in our everyday lives. They will compare their experiences to ours. These aged, forgotten bodies, non-productive in capitalist terms, will endeavour to use play, their bodies and their voices to expose the detached and concealed spaces of our existence that we maintain as individuals.

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