My overall impression
Two people are sleeping on stage in what looks like, yeah, kinda RV’s. Guests are a little puzzled, what’s wrong, should we go in, is this part of it, are we too late, are they drunk or what?
Relieve, it’s part of the Gesamtkunstwerk, we can sit down. RV inhabitant No 1, male, scruffy, yawns his way out of his rolling home to see another one parked right there, where yesterday must have been nada. Mmh. So? He fetches something from his rummage and – measures the space between his and, as we see later, hers.
A gesture, evoking as many stories and feelings as there are spectators, as poignant, smart, funny, creative and multi-layered as the entire play. There’s not one moment without a surprise, be it the brilliantly written dialogues, often monologues, the twists and turns of the story, the unusual portrayal of love making, the nouveau view points of directing; it was as if we held our breath for 75 minutes so that we wouldn’t miss a second.
The acting was fed by a Peter Brook-ish depth of experience, it was raw, real and at the same time artfully stylized and magical. It evoked what is best described as that, undeniably slightly cliche, childlike awe and curiosity, which has and had the power though to glue us into the here and now of the play.
“Feeding Time” is like a gourmet meal, where even the tiniest ingredient has become an active part of it’s enticing perfection.
I experienced theater hands on for two years when I researched for my book about experimental and street theater, which was published a while ago and is already out of print. I thought I had seen a lot and had it with theater since then, but Maria Pavone and her creative team sparked a new love for the medium. For me, that’s big.