Thoughts about Magdalena Munich Saison 2018

This Helen Varley Jamieson sure does know how to jump in the deep end. To extend a Magdalena event for three months is no easy feat especially with limited resources and personal. My hat off to her.

My participation was to perform “Tale 53: Snowhite” for the opening of the Saison at HochX,; perform the same work the next night;  conduct a five day bodymask building workshop “Macanudos” finishing with a parade / intervention in a large shopping mall and roundoff with Tale 53 again at Meta Theatrer. All doable. It is often difficult coming to a new place and having to figure out materials etc and all this was cheerfully carried out with Helen and also my workshop assistant Sabine Bollenbach. This was a new workshop so there are always uncertainties. The opening night performance was cancelled because my luggage had not arrived (never fly British Airways) but fortunately it did for the second night, so onwards.

The artists for the season all stay at Villa Waldberta, in Felding, about 30 minutes by train from the centre of Munich. Once the house (1900s) of wealthy people it is now a very agreeable place to stay, work, collaborate, eat together if we wish, never see a soul if we like and above all have time to think and work on other projects. There is precious time and for this I thank Helen, and Karin Sommer from the Villa Waldberta. A house full of Magdalenas is really a privileged situation and although we all have our own apartments; the times of sharing as always are great. With snow all around, it has been like living in a Christmas card; a far cry from the post Hurricane Maria circumstances of Puerto Rico, which is my home.

Zoe Gudovic works on her mask at the Macanudos Workshop Karla Ptacek at the Macanudos Workshop The mask workshop was intense and the parade joyful. I have never been drawn to perform in shopping malls and actually they are often off limits to us, wherever we might be. The mall was full of all kinds of folk and the participants of the workshop had the opportunity to move into the flow of the parade and practised secuences of simple movements and also on a personal level, establish contact with members of the public. I was pleased with the outcome.

Tomorrow I perform for the last time in Munich at Meta Theater …. I  feel anxious and at the same time content that phase one of the deep end is for me nearly accomplished. Thank you Helen. May we keep jumping.

Deborah Hunt
MASKHUNT MOTIONS
www.facebook.com/maskhunt
http://hemisphericinstitute.org/artistprofiles/index.php?lang=Eng&Artist=dhunt&Menu=About&Category=Bio

The Macanudos at Villa Waldberta