In de media

Celebrate the difference

Last Thursday I had an interview with actor and candidate for a masters degree in Theatre Studies, Howard Dodemont. I met him in the corridors of the Amsterdam Theatre school. We shook hands, searched for an empty studio, and closed ourselves in for nearly two hours. My main task was to ask for the differences between the four theatre schools in Holland. Does a theatre scholar recognise an actor from Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem or Maastricht? Howard finished his study with a final thesis concerning the different intentions these four schools have; what their goals are and how they profile themselves. About one thing he tried to be very strict: he did not compare the schools to prove which one is better and which one is worse. This probably has something to do with the political question why a small country such as The Netherlands needs four schools.

"There is of course a difference! Even the students themselves can recognise certain things. Someone from the Drama Academy in Maastricht for example once noticed that a colleague from Arnhem needs more information about a character: they want to know the backgrounds of a prince to play one. Actors from Maastricht have a good technical education. It prepares them to construct a character themselves, physically and psychologically. Arnhem on the other hand delivers independent actors who do not become invisible in favour of the play. They carry out the story because they are fully aware of their place within the theatrical setting. Graduates from Utrecht are very physical actors."

"The schools also have a structural difference. Every first year in Maastricht starts with thirty students. After one year they only keep about ten of them. That's why many actors that finish their studies somewhere else, stayed in the southern part of the Netherlands for a year. Maastricht is also very strict. In Amsterdam the students are left free, this system desires and creates discipline. By letting the students choose for themselves what they want to do, they become aware of the fact that theyÕre developing themselves."

'Drama has it's basic principles: moving your body and talking in a way that the audience can encode what you want them to. Theatre schools teach these basic skills; but you can not describe a school by explaining a theory of lets say Stanislavski, Brecht or Grotovski. The schools make use of all of these theories."

"By seeing plays like Revisor at the ITs-festival, I'm more certain of the fact that theatrical theories are not separated and isolated ideas. Without Stanislavski there wouldn't be a Meyerhold. Everyone is searching for the only and ultimate theatrical theory but the truth is that these theories are influencing and creating each other. This is equal for the theatre schools. There's no need for a competition between the four of them. Diversity creates a rich acting culture. When you've graduated from an acting school you can work where ever you want. If a theatre company will hire you depends more on your personal qualities then your educational backgrounds."

Domenico Mertens

Uit It's krant 29 juni 1998