CATACLISMA

Genre: Solo physical theatre performance

Concept, choreography, selection of music: Andrea Gavriliu 

Performed by: Andrea Gavriliu

Set design: Alexandru Petre

Sound and lights: Paul Drăguș / Dragoș Mărgineanu

Lenght: 55 minutes (without intermission)

Date of premiere: July 24th 2019

Producer: „unteatru” Bucharest

Audience: +18 (contains nudity)

Performance description:

„Cataclisma” is a dance solo in which a (female) body is struck by information. The information manipulates it, outrages it, makes it ill, but, there is nothing to do about it… As Dostoevsky said, “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”, this body gradually distorst while listening to „famous” voices that lead the world. The information echoes in the body, but its ractions are useless. It only accumulates in its stomach. Therefore, this performances’s motto can be something like: Everything that goes in, will eventually come out in one way or another.

„Cataclisma” gives examples through corporality and corporeality of a „chronological” transition of a human from the office/appartment/club into a caveman.

Awards:

2019 „Undercloud” Award for Best Performance – „Undercloud” International Independent Theatre Festival, Bucharest

Review excerpts:

„Andrea Gavriliu has shown incredible strength while being in complete harmony – her body, her mind, and her face worked together to create a moment that will undoubtedly win the local and international audience. After all, it is one of the best one-woman shows that I have seen in the past few years, so I hope it wins the popularity it deserves. 

Cataclisma is a manifesto that prompts us to take action, to play a role in this exorcism without waiting for a clear direction from someone else. You should go see Cataclisma at unteatru; it is fa-bu-lous!”

(Georgiana, „Cataclisma by Andrea Gavriliu”)

„Te combination between rhythm, the political discourses and the music is elucidative for the audience, but that does not mean that the performance is easy to watch. Although the spectators sometimes laugh, or you may get yourself stolen by the rhythms, or you feel like dancing along with Andrea Gavriliu, the message in not at all an optimistic one.”

(Nona Rapotan – „Charisma Cataclism(ei)”)

Cataclisma is a performance in which the artistic discourse and the message are faces of the same medal made of precious material. A rich and full of meaning idea is set up through simple methods, without fanfare or exaggeration. The heaviness of this performance is perfectly proportioned to make it relevant. And the uninterrupted focus, humour and lucid thinking behind every gesture expresses step by step a message that does not need an explanatory programme.”

(Alina Epîngeac – „Cataclisma – informația care ucide”)

„It is an exercise of sincere admiration towards an important choreographer and dancer. Andrea Gavriliu is painfully and ecstatically expressive, full of emotion and fudgy with nuances that break, crack, deform, melt, bend, tore and defecate under your dazed eyes, which get blurry by the echo of the information that you cannot bare carrying under your eyelids and which will eject you directly into history’s toilet.”

(Luciana Antofi – „Corporeality or the human squashed by times – Andrea Gavriliu’s Cataclisma at unteatru”)

Andrea Gavriliu

Choreographer, Performer, Teacher

Andrea Gavriliu graduated the acting department at the Theatre and Film Faculty of Cluj-Napoca in 2008. In 2013 she received her master degree in Choreography at “Ion Luca Caragiale” University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest by directing, choreographing and performing in “Zic Zac”. This brought her the UNITER Special Award for dance-theatre in 2014, the UNACOR Excellency Award for directing and choreographing in 2017. In 2019 she received an UNITER special award for stage movement. She has a doctorate in “Theatre and Performance Art”.

Here are a few of the physical theatre performances she directed and choreographed: “Hotel PM” (German State Theatre of Temeswar)  in 2015, “The Rite of Spring” (M Studio Sfântu Gheorghe) in 2016, The Recipe For Perfection In Too Many Steps That Lead Nowhere” (Northern Theatre, Satu Mare) in 2018, „Senselessly Beautiful” (“Tomcsa Sándor” Theatre, Odorheiu Secuiesc) in 2019, „The Snake’s Outfit” (“Marin Sorescu” National Theatre Craiova), “M for Murphy” (Bucharest National Theatre, “9G Programme”) in 2020, “Viva la Vulva!” (“Marin Sorescu” National Theatre Craiova) in 2021, „Fiesta” (“Ivan Vazov” National Theatre of Sofia, Bulgaria), “Watcher” (“Andrei Mureșanu” Theatre, Sfântu Gheorghe) in 2022 and more.

She collaborated with various theatre directors: Radu Afrim, Alexander Hausvater, Kazuyoshi Kushida, Andrei Șerban, Cristian Popescu, Vlad Massaci, Mihai Măniuțiu, Alexander Morfov, Andrei Măjeri, Leta Popescu any others. 

Currently, she is a lecturer of movement at the University of Theatre and Film of Bucharest and a choreographer at “Lucian Blaga” National Theatre of Cluj-Napoca.

Here are some of the workshops she attended: “Trinity Laban Summer Dance School” in London, “Eastman SummerIntensive” (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Company, Antwepen), “Paris Summer Academy” with Rob Hayden from “Ultima Vez”, “B12” with Hannes Langolf (Berlin), “Share Intensive” (Paris) and others.

For more information, please visit the official website: www.andreagavriliu-format.com