The Misanthrope

Choreography for actors in a theater production of Molière’s comedy at the Stadttheater Bern

(Original German title: Der Menschenfeind)

“The Bernese theater season opened auspiciously this year with a production that bristles with vitality, is rich in physical invention (choreography courtesy of Joshua Monten), and—pardon!—treats Molière’s text with refreshingly little respect.”
Beatrice Eichmann-Leutenegger, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 29 September 2008

“The director, Stefan Otteni, relocates this caustic comedy in the present, in a society of well-dressed, beautiful young things who love to live, love to love, and love to dance. Indeed, dancing plays a central role in Otteni’s staging. It represents vitality and community. In fact, how one dances is an expression of one’s place in a group, how one fits into a predetermined structure… The dances, choreographed by Joshua Monten, fulfill diverse functions: as a form of combat, as a symbol for making love. The internal logic of the dances yields quite stunning images.”
Maria Künzli, Berner Zeitung, 27 September 2008