The Grand Ensor Parade

At Theater Stap, artists with (mental) disabilities collaborate as performing artists alongside able-bodied creators and professionals. With passion, skill, and a sense of responsibility. Authentic. Life-experienced. A conversation with Daan Hutten and Marc Bryssinck.

By Sophie Verbeke

Let’s start with an introduction. Who are you, and what do you do at Theater Stap?

Marc Bryssinck “I am originally a musician. For a long time, I lived with my eyes closed and my ears open. At the end of the 1980s, I became involved with Theater Stap as a musician, and I quickly realized that I had found my place. Today, I am the artistic director of this company, and I enjoy every day creating theater, film, dance, and more with a group of wonderful, talented actors—one of whom is Daan.”

Daan Hutten “I am one of the actors. I am currently playing multiple roles in four productions.”

The KMSKA invited you to become Artists in Residence. Why did you decide to accept, and what is your connection to visual art?

Marc “Whether you make music or draw, you want to make something tangible. Our productions connect different artistic disciplines. Sometimes there’s more dance, sometimes it’s more language-based. Then there are productions like the Ensor performance we created as Artists in Residence, which is very visual. The costumes, masks, hats, and set—all painted. It really looks like one large painting.”

“As artistic director, I’m always very sensitive to what comes our way. Making an abstract five-year plan and sticking rigidly to it feels unnatural to us. We prefer to remain open to the opportunities that arise. Those are often much better than what we could come up with on our own.”

Daan “In Chimeras, one of the productions I’m in, I have to draw—on stage. The work we create during the performance is then used as a set in the next production.”

During your residency at the KMSKA, you look at the museum collection and create a contemporary, creative response to it. What exactly does that involve?

Marc “The work of James Ensor immediately stood out to us. We were completely fascinated by his figures, by the way he ‘calls out’ the world. Those crazy faces and tronies really appealed to us. We quickly decided to create a kind of Ensor parade, with the beautiful costumes and masks from his paintings, which our designer Geertje Van Genechten made [Theater Stap performs this parade during the museum’s opening weekend; SV]. But it didn’t stop there. We started immersing ourselves in the characters from Ensor’s paintings. We wondered what would happen if they came to life. It’s not just about ‘what do they look like?’ We thought about what they would say and do, how they would move.”

“We began with improvisations in small groups—because of COVID we had to work in small bubbles—and created scenes in which painted characters come to life and interact with each other. Sometimes they even come from different paintings! It culminates in a kind of competition where these characters compete for the Ensor Trophy. They juggle, dance, perform theatre—it’s like an ‘Ensor’s Got Talent/Belgium’s Got Ensor’ contest. When we invited Dimitri Leue, Alice Reijs, and Jonas Leemans to participate, it all came together into a beautiful production that we performed at the Zomer van Antwerpen festival. Next year, we’ll take it to the Kempen region, the year after to Ostend. And who knows—maybe in 2025 to California… Then we’ll bring The Entry of Christ into Brussels back from The Getty, right, Daan?”

Daan (laughs) “Hmmm, I don’t know about that…”

What is your role in the Ensor production, Daan?

Daan “I play several roles in the Ensor production. Yes, multiple roles in one performance! There’s the role of Jesus [inspired by an etching by Ensor in which he himself is the crucified Jesus; SV], and then I also play Wouse in The Astonishment of the Mask Wouse. I am also one of the priests, sometimes a dancer, and I have another role in Still Life.”

That’s five roles! That sounds like a challenge. And performing with a mask on must be difficult too. How do you experience that as an actor?

Daan “People can’t see your face, so you rely more on your body. My parents didn’t even recognize me when I played the role of Wouse.”

Marc “It’s fascinating to see what happens when you work with masks. The Greeks were already experimenting with this. When you have an actor with Down syndrome perform with a mask, there’s initially a fear that you’ll lose the authenticity we strive for. But nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes something becomes even more expressive when you try to hide it. You recognize someone in their movement, their timing…”

Exactly what Ensor intended with his art: the masks don’t hide, they reveal the true nature of the characters.

Marc “Exactly! And Ensor wanted to hold up a mirror to the viewer. Sometimes he settled scores in his paintings by ridiculing notable figures. He looked critically at the world around him and wanted to show its flaws. We do the same with our theater. Through the imagination of our actors, we want to tell a little more about the world we all live in. We show not only the flaws but also the beauty. Our Ensor production is actually a feel-good show—our audience laughs a lot. But not every production we make is harmonious; sometimes it can scratch or unsettle. It can be incredibly powerful when we confront the audience, maybe even disrupt them a little. It’s wonderful to see how an audience gets swept up in a story and forgets that the actors have a mental disability. We believe our productions are very connecting.”

“Daan and his fellow performers also have a freedom with which they take the stage. They aren’t trapped by traditions and don’t carry a canon with them. That allows them to truly create creatively. There is enormous strength in that.”

One last question for Daan: what is your favorite role in the Ensor production, and why?

Daan “That of Jesus. I get to dance around crazily to the song Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees.”