The Soldier’s Tale, created by Igor Stravinsky with C.F. Ramuz and first performed in 1918, is presented at the Aurora Theatre Company as a mix of music, acting, dance, and puppetry directed by Muriel Maffre and Tom Ross. Performances take place on a small stage that measures about ten by twenty feet. The intimate venue is a vital part of the success of this production, which is both sparse and riveting.
The story is a classic Faustian tale about human vulnerability and temptation. Donald Pippin’s translation of the text is poetic and, in this version, three actors play four characters: a soldier named Joseph, a narrator, the devil, and the daughter of the king. The performers transform each of the character’s interactions into enchanting exchanges. Maffre controls Joseph, a four-foot puppet, and embodies the character’s emotions and demeanor as she manipulates the figure’s limbs. When Maffre plays the daughter of the king, she steps away from the puppet and provides a fleeting moment of balletic grace in a sweeping solo. Her versatility as a performer and co-director of the production is extraordinary.
In her utilization of a puppet to represent the soldier, Maffre emphasizes the way that the military, the devil, and the lure of money manipulate her character. But more importantly, her use of the puppet brings into view the separation of the character’s mind and body. Though the narrator, L. Peter Callender, speaks the voice of Joseph, Maffre is on stage separately manipulating the puppet’s body. The tension between ambition and compassion is palpable. The disjuncture makes visible the conflicts between desire and responsibility and makes heard the pressures of Joseph’s internal voices. Maffre excels at encapsulating Joseph’s emotions, particularly while he is tempted by the devil or accrues enormous wealth, but remains despondent and lonely.
The production is stunning both visually and acoustically, with four musicians beautifully performing a score that comments on and propels the narration. These elements combined offer a brilliant commentary on the themes of greed and desperation that are enhanced by the audience’s
The Soldier puppeteered by Muriel Maffre in The Solider's Tale, 2011; performance. Courtesy of the Aurora Theatre Company, Berkeley.
placement around the edges of the stage. The seating arrangement makes it possible to see the reactions of other viewers behind the performers and to consider our own encounters with temptation. It’s an innovative interpretation manifesting in a fascinating and thought-provoking production that reinforces how theater can enrich self-awareness and reflection.
