ANTUCO
The piece was inspired by the Antuco tragedy that took place in the Biobío region of Chile in 2005, where a series of negligent actions and bad decisions led to the death of 44 18-year-old young men and a sergeant, who froze to death in the mountains. Antuco is about the relationship of children and young people with militarization. Most of them come from rural areas and view the army as an opportunity to come up in the world and “be someone.” The play displays how children imagine war by playing games and setting an epic tone, and compares it to the reality of a harsh, crude, abusive system that fails to protect them. Antuco takes us on a journey through a genuine idea that springs from children’s games, from a stick horse, a broomstick machine gun, to rifles and grenades. It stages relationships defined by the institutional hierarchy to be intrinsically abusive – abuses that are ubiquitous in our society.
Through Silencio Blanco’s unique artistic and poetic language, a subtle harshness reveals the dualities of dreams, forces that inhabit us from a social perspective, and the ever-present and predominant force of nature.
In the company’s fourth production, the actresses and actors take the spotlight and highlight their power over the puppets, using it to expose the different relationships that can be established within a small working system.
SILENCIO BLANCO, SANTIAGO, REPUBLIC OF CHILE
Silencio Blanco (White Silence) has distinguished itself by its meticulous work with puppets of great expressiveness, made from everyday materials such as newspaper and chopsticks. The company creates its productions from observation and field research, delving into the lives of everyday people and solitary jobs. By exploring gestures and text, they are able to transfer human movement onto the marionettes, provoking an illusion in the audience to the point of conveying the character’s heartbeat.
The emotional eloquence of the marionettes and the thematic depth of the company’s performances have led them to present their work on prominent stages abroad such as: Belgium (Krokusfestival, Hasselt), Portugal (Gulbenkian Foundation and Puppets Museum in Lisbon during its year as the Ibero-American Capital of Culture), France (Charleville-Mézières World Festival of Puppet Theatres), UK (Brighton Festival, CASA Festival), Poland (AnimArt, Łódź), Denmark (Odin Teatret), and USA (Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, 8-states tour organized by the curator of MCA Chicago).
Silencio Blanco is a theatre company where they work and discover their own language with paper marionettes and in silence.
