ASSITEJ Magazine 2019

In my opinion the
natural condition of
a young audience is
to be interactive.
Manuela Sarkissyan
I offer them, through the protagonist, an Actual
Reality Game. Once the spectators decide to jump
in, five catching secrets are revealed in front of
their eyes step by step. Charodeya (the name of
the shero – she-hero – means charm in action with
the nuance of magic) is an old wise orange-haired
weirdo. Fast memorizing is one of the superpowers
she first demonstrates during the performance. Her
motto is that superpowers are not a possession only
to super(s)heroes but the other way around – every
super(s)hero with a superpower owns at least one.
At the end of the interaction Charodeya spreads
the superpower mystery among the audience and
everyone is invited to get some small amount from
the invisible wave of flying pocket enchantment. The
ritual is repeated after each of the five secrets and it
aims to catalyze their activation.
It is extremely touching to observe the kids stretching
their hands in order to grab a dose of magic. The
enthusiasm they do it with points out their 100%
presence and faith. Afterwards we continue to talk
and experience the rest of the five secrets: belief in
miracles, the danger of losing the gift of imagination,
the vanishing knowledge of the good heart, and the
life-saving sense of humor. None of these secrets can
be revealed without the active participation of the
audience thanks to whom the show moves forward.
The final award consists of the acquired right to be
part of the special mission of Charodeya – to save a
lost fairy-tale by finding and creating its pieces and
bringing it back in the Fairy-Tales Kingdom.
Everything the children have to pass through is like
an initiation process but in a secure and supportive
environment. The Actual Reality Game and the
intergenerational exchange happen gently, the
confrontation with the present finds a happy ending.
Kids play and have fun. In such a short period
they build self-confidence thanks to the positive
emotional atmosphere. Their long-term memory also
opens up archiving the experience as a future source
of inspiration. Their imagination is free to create new
worlds based on “the hero’s journey” which could be
therapeutic. And the role of the puppet is extremely
important. Without her it wouldn’t work the same
way because while looking at her they recognize the
supershero, not just an adult, not a human being, but
somebody they admire and they trust. In conditions
like these the real magic occurs – the level of
true sharing is high as well as the excitement
from discovering the creative process. For me it’s
priceless to be part of this adventure where I am
provoked, surprised and inspired by dozens of
heartwarming revelations, unexpected combinations
and funny expressions. Keeping audio recordings
from all the performances I definitely start thinking
that not only the fairy-tales deserve to be told.
50 Towards the Unknown – Confronting the Present