(Artus’s Hat)

The latest production to emerge from the Artus company has been inspired by Szondi Lipót's study entitled ’Cain the lawbreaker and Moses the lawmaker’. ’Cain’s Hat’ is not, however, a philosophical play; neither is it a psychoanalytical examination of fate, or an illustrative explanation of a theory.
It is difficult, sometimes impossible, and therefore unnecessary to break the scenes back down into the abstract formulations which served as starting points in the beginning. The key to appreciating the images lies within the images themselves – like the threads of a stitch, any ’intention’ or ’purpose’ in the design of the play slowly unravelled and disappeared from the original material during rehearsals, leaving behind the characteristic texture and fabric of the performance. The play tackles the reality of re-written myths with profane sublimity and serious humour. Kinetic music, dance infused with elements from the fine arts, body poetry and conceptual theatre. In detail lies total representation: Artus.

(Cain Didn't Even Have a Hat)

The hat has not existed since the beginning of time. The hat had to be invented. Those driven into perpetual flight held their hands above their heads in fear of the wrath of Yahweh. Then, suddenly, their hands just stayed there. It happened something like this. Ever since then the hat has been a peculiar object. It is the symbol of respect, concealment, defence and protection. It separates and binds, protects and conceals. It suggests humility and fear. Just as the hat conceals the mark of Cain, so too can it brand with its own distinctive mark.

(Moses and the Mark of Cain)

The paradigms: ’Cain’ and ’Moses’. Cain killed. He struck down his brother with a stone. We hardly know anything else about him. Cain is a murderer. Moses killed. Then he wrote in stone ’Thou shalt not kill’. Moses is a lawmaker.
Cain is the eternal symbol of jealous fratricide, but Moses also bears the mark of Cain. Cain is a master in the art of camouflage. He hides away his true self. He is pure kindness, pure mask. Moses is rebellious and yet meek.
In order to curb his own aggression he passes laws and then forces them upon everyone
else. If someone disobeys the law, he ’boils over and raises Cain’. The performance can be viewed as a series of stories involving Cain which are told in a different way every time. We on the other hand search for the meaning of things. We have inherited Cain's rage and Moses's laws – we are endlessly running amok.

(But Everyone's Got a Stone)

In the beginning was the Stone…
Stone in the heart. Stone in the hand. Stone in the head. You could also be  Cain if suddenly you were to become one of many, where once you were the only One. Where everything that once belonged to you becomes common property. And where is Abel? Poor Abel. (Poor Stone.)

… and many years passed before there was Law.
Lest you should stray from the straight and narrow, lest you should fail to erect a
strong barrier in the path of your emotions, you carve the Commandment into stone (this
way everyone can imprint it on their mind). You don't strike with the stone, you strike it; you
compose with heavy blows. When the stone tablet is ready, the Law will stand. If you break it, it will come down heavily on you. (And then everything will be reduced to ruins…)

Transl ation by Phi l i p Barker