Objects of theasis, victims of our gaze | On the concept of the face regarding the Son of God by Rom

The drama of the actor unfolds in a bipolar plan: under the look of the spectators and of Christ as well. The actors are placed under our gaze like martyrs that must bear the weight of their art, as He suffered the burden of the cross. The body of Jesus Christ is transubstantiated in that of the actors who stand on the stage to be sacrificed, to become objects of theasis, victims of our gaze. The Son of God embodies the most dramatic role, wearing the mask of a human man. This is the material depiction of an immaterial existence, for the visible side of the invisible: “He that hath seen me, has seen the Father”.

Excerpt from: Eleni Papalexiou, 2015. “The Dramaturgies of the Gaze: Strategies of Vision and Optical Revelations in the Theatre of Romeo Castellucci and the Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio”, in G. Rodosthenous, (ed.), Theatre as Voyeurism. The pleasures of Watching, Palgrave-Macmillan, London, pp. 50-68.

On the concept of the face regarding the Son of God by Romeo Castellucci

6-8 of May, 2016 São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Portugal