Portrait and video portrait
Comp. Marius
Comp.Marius was founded by Waas Gramser and Kris Van Trier, whose artistic careers have been inextricably linked since1991. They met each other at the Antwerp theater school, played together in tgStan (1991-1993), founded ‘Maten’ together with Guy Cassiers (1994-1996), later De Onderneming (1997-2005) and finally Comp.Marius (since 2006). As actors, translators, adaptors, as directors of their plays, their work continuously focuses on the autonomy of the actor and the development of own acting style.
Subtle dramaturgy
Comp. Marius translates and adapts both classical play texts and novels, often displaying a preference for comedies with an existential, philosophical undertone. Mostly lesser-known works by mostly famous authors like Samuel Beckett, Thomas Bernhard, Marcel Pagnol, Bruno Schulz, Charles Dickens, … are performed in a new language, with a sometimes completely revised dramaturgy.
Site-specific theatre
With its own tiered wooden seating for the audience, Comp. Marius performs on river banks, in public parks, on wasteland and in disused hangars, under a radiant sun as well as in pouring rain, under the motto:
What I expect art to be is not only that it is good as art, but also that it is deeply embedded in life…. I prefer the Chopin that reaches me in the street from an open window to the Chopin served in great style from the concert stage.
– Witold Gombrowicz
Genereus naar publiek
Toneel wordt bij Comp.Marius aan een ander belangrijk sociaal gebeuren gekoppeld: samen aan tafel zitten. Bij langere voorstellingen schuift het publiek aan tafel voor een volkse maaltijd; bij kortere voorstellingen wordt samen het glas geheven aan een bar die de spelers zelf bedienen. De ontvangst van het publiek bepaalt mee de identiteit van het gezelschap: de spelers zijn steeds gastheer.
International audience reach
Marius’ warm-hearted site-specific performances are enthusiastically received abroad. Comp. Marius tours extensively in France with a French-language version made for almost every performance on the repertoire.
Space for (theatre) company
In the Covid-stricken summer of 2020, Comp. Marius transforms its workspace in the Middelheim Museum into a summer podium. Since 2021, this now yearly initiative is used to present new work, perform repertoire, invite bachelor and master students, and present collaborations with drama schools. With this initiative, the company wants to support the development of the actor’s craft.