The Patch
Theater Play
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Tunisian Theater, Since January 2019
Directed by Houssem Chabbouh
Actors // Houssem Chabbouh, Asma Ben Neji, Amine S'hiri, Amani Melliti, Mehdi Mejdoub & Ranya Raffa
Music // Ramez Ben Aribia
Light & Assistance // Amal Khalfallah
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In a satirical comic template, based on the dark humor built from reality, a group of six numbers - or citizens - decides to escape from the mass social suicide and escape from the invisible collective prison that humans made, towards a square patch of cloth fixed on the ground. In this patch, the events of the story are escalating gradually since the advent of Ammar from the United States to his home country, Tunisia, on a mission almost impossible facing the point of peaking and collapsing by colliding with the reality quite different from what he expected.
Actors perform completely different roles that exceed 30 characters and are prevented from using anything other than their bodies or even leaving the stage, the patch precisely, during the whole performance. With the abandonment of even sexual identity or dress, they embody the rest of humanity in them, which reflects the technical difficulty by creating invisible walls and obstacles around the patch: It's all about imagination, creativity and the art of fluid physical expressions.
After reaching the point of total despair, a musician decided to retire. He become mute and insists to present the change and culture, by joining the group. Beside the patch, he only express himself by music through a direct performance that gives a living spirit by accompanying the audience and scenes stemming from the heart of the situation in their country or the world in a larger beam, especially focusing on the United States foreign policies.
In front of us, a problem appears on its face, funny, and inside it is a violent tragedy that afflicts people by relying on their mentality. It is an invitation to a comprehensive thinking and reconsideration of the origin of the cancer that nourishes humanity, society and the world in its different forms, concepts and dimensions.
