2024-02-03 08:53:16
There was already a lot of media attention in advance: Isabella Rossellini – actress, ethologist, model, daughter of Ingrid Bergmann and Roberto Rossellini – performed her solo “Darwin’s Smile” at the Lower Austrian State Theater in St. Pölten. There was a standing ovation for the star at the Austrian premiere on Friday evening.
“Darwin’s Smile” is a production of the Théatre National de Nice – CDN Nice Cote d’Azur. Rossellini has been touring successfully with this “guest performance Les Visiteurs du Soir” for several years. Researching the behavior of animals and humans is a declared concern of hers. She shows no reservations about anthropomorphic thinking, on the contrary: she follows Darwin’s unifying thesis that there is a “continuity between animals and humans. We are animals.”
It’s primarily about empathy, understanding forms of expression and body language, which is also an elementary basis for the art of acting and probably communication in general. An entertaining one-woman show turns into a kind of seminar cabaret lesson – in English with German surtitles – as a sympathetic plea for differentiating perception. Despite all the scientific and philosophical overtones, it was a humorous, almost weightless evening.
Rossellini provides vivid examples, occasionally mutating into a chicken, a peacock or a monkey, and also brings in anecdotes (e.g. about “Casablanca”). Smiling, for example, is understood worldwide, but this is no longer the case with head movements for “yes” and “no”, and some gestures are only understood in Italy. For Rossellini, the question of whether animals also smile, have feelings, memories and thoughts, show gestures and emotional expression has been clearly answered.
A repeat follows on Saturday evening; according to the homepage, the performance is sold out. On Facebook there is a reference to standing room and the chance to get any returned tickets.
(By Ewald Baringer/APA)
(SERVICE – St. Pölten, Landestheater Lower Austria: guest appearance Isabella Rossellini, “Darwin’s Smile”. Director: Muriel Mayette-Holtz. Further performance on February 3rd, information: Tel. 02742/908080-600, www.landestheater.net)
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