11. Madách International Theatre Meeting

In The Tempest, everyone seeks to seize, consolidate or increase their power. The Supernatural appears precisely when Prospero forsakes it and renounces using it as a weapon. But Shakespeare seems to imply that the supreme power lies in the power of the Theatre. The Tempest is a hymn to theatre delivered by the theatre. Its magical powers lie precisely in this unique and one-time opportunity to experience metaphysical dimensions thanks to a company of boorish comedians treading wooden boards, making do with just a few props and a handful of patched together costumes. Therein lies its age-old fascination: everything happens before our eyes, everything is real and yet so clearly simulated, but, above all, this superhuman power only occurs if an audience is  willing to listen and see, imagine, and share the silence to create the ritual. People will always have a longing for the Theatre because it remains the only place where human beings can exercise their right to an act of magic. / Alessandro Serra