"Luxurious Event at Taverna Miresia": a grand celebration
Wordless theater has been scarce on Montreal stages in recent years, with few theaters willing to present plays devoid of dialogue. However, the Festival TransAmériques has stepped up, hosting the show "Taverna Miresia" by young Greek director of Albanian heritage, Mario Banushi. The production, created in Athens in 2023, is a captivating fusion of images, emotions, songs, and dances, delving into themes of loss, resilience, and the feminine.
The staging, designed by Sotiris Melanos (scenography) and Eliza Alexandropoulou (lighting), is impressive despite its seemingly mundane setting - a bathroom. Nevertheless, it serves as an evocative space for introspection and intimacy, also functioning as a puppet theater, a realm of multiplying appearances, awakened ghosts, summoned dreams, and crossed imaginaries.
The interior theater presents a compelling tableau of grieving women, who are essentially the embodiment of the director, mourning the loss of their patriarch. Scattered throughout the stage, Banushi himself holds a large luminous sign bearing the name "Taverna Miresia Mario Bella Anastasia." The performance oscillates between the sublime and the grotesque, the hilarious and the tragic, as a poignant farewell to the father whose absence takes center stage in a riveting visual poem.
Far from being a simple letter to the deceased, the show serves as a vibrant tribute to the feminine. Water, earth, smoke, and light play integral roles in creating a meaningful and immersive experience, engaging various body types and voices in theater, dance, and rich soundscapes by Jeph Vanger. The performance concludes with powerful and evocative images that linger long after the curtain falls.
"Taverna Miresia - Mario Bella Anastasia" is a poignant tribute to family ties, personal identity, and the nourishing power of love. The production is innovative in its wordless storytelling approach, creating a universal language that transcends linguistic barriers and reaching a deeper level of engagement with the audience. Overall, the show represents a remarkable condensation of images and emotions, making it a must-see for theatre enthusiasts.
In the engaging immersion of "Taverna Miresia - Mario Bella Anastasia," Greek director Mario Banushi employs a captivating fusion of French entertainment elements, including theater, dance, and rich soundscapes, to weave a compelling and wordless visual narrative. Observing the performance, one can appreciate the French influences that contribute to its vibrant tribute to family ties, personal identity, and the nourishing power of love.
