Malzeit

Malzeit when spoken, is a German pun meaning both ‘mealtime’ and ‘painting time’. In this performance, the spectator is led into a small room by the director, Gert Engel. There you spend about five minutes alone with a painter, Silke Kruse, who is completely hidden from you behind a small theatre. As you sit facing its stage, you watch paint brushes getting dipped into jars of colored inks and produce a picture on a napkin. A story is vaguely suggested, since Kruse’s work is figurative, but no words are spoken to reinforce the dramaturgy. You are given the picture at the end of the performance and can compare it with those of others. Each painting is different, you soon discover: no formulas here.