Knowing the story of Dangerous Liaisons, and reading about Muller’s Quartett, I was ready to encounter this what seemed incredible experience.
As it turned out, the Quartett was more than I expected. Starting with the theater itself, BAM Harvey Theater, a place so rough and empty. The walls half painted, half bricked. Just by entering the mezzanine, one had the impression of being teleported into a different world. And it was just the begging of the journey.
Robert Wilson, the director of Muller’s play took the scrip to the different level. The fact that he incorporated rap, French language, and the simplest setting, addend together to form this explosive mélange.
It is true, as Sara had said in her post that the language barrier might have caused trouble to some, who do not speak French. However I must say that I who speak this language fluently had problems understanding the leading actress. In this particular play, I think, the director deliberately had the actors speak so fast to confuse a spectator. We not understanding the play word by word had to pay more attention in order to fully understand it.
The colors used were another important aspect of this play. Each of the actors had a specific color assigned to his/ her character; Merteuil white, Valmont red, a young man white, and a girl green. We can say that just those colors reflected the characters. Merteuil was dressed in an asymmetric purple dress and illuminated with white light. Her character at the same time was cold as an iceberg, unmoved by any emotions. Her sexual games with Valmont were more about physical acts than sentimental feelings. Mean while her opponent Valmont, was dressed in red, covered in red light. He was a sexual character. He was driven by his emotions and wasn’t afraid to admit it. Girls that he slept with were like his conquests, and the red color was like their blood. Finally two young lovers, both bathed in light colors. She, a virgin, wore a green dress, green representing fertility and life. He wore white, a color of purity. Both of them were the opposition of what Merteuil and Valmont stood for. They were untouched by their silly games; they still had entire life ahead of time.
There is also one more character that I forgot to mention, the old man. Throughout the show, I kept on asking myself who is he, for as we have learned in class the Quartett was suppose to star 4 actors. As I learned afterwards it was Robert Wilson who decided to embody Muller himself as this character. He never spoke, he just runs on stage and disoriented spectators. I find it very interesting how a director’s interpretation of a script can lead to such a change in casting and change of scenery.