"People live in one matrix" - Jerzy Zon

The last show at 31st Ulica theater festival in Krakow was Peregrinus, from a host theater - Teatr KTO. It was a honor to talk with Jerzy Zon, the artistic director and director of show Peregrinus, which we had chance to see.

The show is about consumerism, as a dominant religion today. People in formal suits, all with same, a bit sad masks go to job every day earning money to spend on massage, on parties, on zumba classes. A lot of after-work pleasure - but their faces stay the same.

Peregrinus

Jerzy Zon was so kind to tell me more about his inspiration for this show and we made some relation between people habits and lack of their interest in social problems.

Jerzy Zon, Photo: www.fakt.pl

I read in the program that this theater were censured in some years. Could you tell me how it works today? Do you get support from the government, support from the city...?

This theater was established 40 years ago. And all 40 years I an the main director of this festival. Since 2005 we have been regularly supported by the city, so since that time we are the city company - Teatr KTO. And this festival has been organized for 31 year.

Your show is related to consumerism Do you think that people today are more materialistic than for example 10 years ago?

Of course they are. Economical situation of our country and on global level is better. Not for all people, but for most of them. So, Internet, mass medium, TV ask us how to live without any problem - and we do it.

Is it maybe the reason why people use to think less? They work. When they finish their job, do they have time to think about social problems or they just want to relax, to have fun, to have massage, as we could see in your show?

They live like in one matrix - on one way. They go to the work, they work, they come back, they sleep, they work, they sleep, they work. 7 days. And everybody does the same. Everybody looks the same. Everybody rests the same.

Some routine?

Yes. No individuality. No humanists, no personalism. Like machines, like robots. The show was inspired by T. S. Eliot poem, who said that the world will be ended not with the bang, but with the barking of the dogs. We are the same.

How the theater could make some change in the society?

We can't make a change. We could just remind people "remember, you are human". People never change lives, never change world. But at least we can show the picture of the situation.

How your job defines you? You probably don't work every day, go home, live by some routine...I suppose. You are an artist.

We are living in different way. We spend a lot of time in the planes, in different countries, visiting different cities. It is better. We are not TV artists, we are not cinema artists, not serial artists. We are theater and street artists!