Obama
Press release – January 23, 2009
The Bergman Festival interprets political rhetoric Obama’s victory speech explored by the international theatre elite – The Obama Victory Speech Project.
What is the secret behind Barack Obama’s captivating rhetoric, and what kind of tools does he employ to persuade the world? These are some of the issues that actors and directors from leading theatres across the world will be exploring in the Obama Victory Speech Project, held in conjunction with Dramaten’s Ingmar Bergman International Theatre Festival.
There is no doubt about the fact that his flair for rhetoric and great talent for public speaking have contributed to making Barack Obama the first black president of the United States. Much has been said about how much he owes to Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and less about the way he chooses to use pauses, words and gestures to underscore his message and win his audience.
Staffan Valdemar Holm, director, artistic director of the Ingmar Bergman International Theatre Festival and previous head of Dramaten has invited some of the leading theatres in Europe to initiate an international network. Its purpose is to let directors and actors scrutinize and interpret Obama’s victory speech in Chicago.
“Obama’s speech was remarkable in a number of ways. Since it is the task and duty of theatrical institutions to follow-up phenomena we are likely to be influenced by, not least language use, it goes without saying that any director or actor will be interested in dissecting this speech,” says Staffan Valdemar Holm.
Representatives from a number of theatres will participate in a two-day workshop with the purpose of discussing the speech. The results will be presented to the public – in the form of a kind of current events drama – at the conclusion of the Ingmar Bergman Festival on June 6, 2009.
“Keeping in mind that the festival coincides with the Swedish election to the EU parliament, we believe that the results will be of interest to a wider audience than the regular theatre goers. I would not be surprised to see one or two politicians in the audience,” says Staffan Valdemar Holm.
The performance will be documented and sent to to Barack Obama at the White House.
An invitation to the Obama Victory Speech Project has, so far, been sent to the following theatres:
Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen
Deutsches Theater, Berlin
Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, Düsseldorf
Katona Jozsef Szinház, Budapest
National Theatre, London
Schauspiel, Frankfurt
Narodowy Stary Teatr, Krakow
Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne
Toneelgroep, Amsterdam
Thalia Theater, Hamburg
Burgtheater, Vienna