Could you introduce yourself? I’m Luuk Ritmeester. I was born in the summer of 1997 on the Grote Berg in Eindhoven. I studied Writing for Performance at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU).
What are your biggest motivations? My passion for theatrical comedy has always past event fueled by a sense of emotion. Philosophy moves me in a similar way—perhaps you could call it an experience of “beauty.” The essence of beauty is tenderness, that which inspires love. I always try to seek out that mood in my style and work. In my view, I’m constantly writing a comedy of fate—how tragedy ends well. “Deliverance from revenge,” Nietzsche would say (in German)[1]. The dramatic transformation from revenge to love. I’m currently exploring, among other things, the possibilities for a solo performance based on Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Who or what inspires you in your work? I’m often inspired by a sense of kinship and harmony. So far on my journey—and I count myself lucky! —I have come across: the plays of Molière, Chekhov, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Joe Orton, Alan Ayckbourn, George Feydeau, De Theatertroep, Frans Strijards, Pieter Kramer, and Don Duyns. The philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Yoga & body-oriented therapy. A number of 19th-century Russian artists: Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Anton Chekhov, and Konstantin Stanislavski. (Nikolai Gogol, incidentally, was actually from Ukraine.) The forest and nature. Kind people. Personal experiences. Cute pictures on Pinterest.
How would you best describe your style? The plays I write often follow a closed dramaturgical structure, featuring personages that are more or less realistic in a given situation. My style is a blend of elements. It has a collage-like quality: play comedy, repertory theater, (art) history, philosophy, pop culture. It also reminds me of Quentin Tarantino—his films are often a homage to a classic film or genre and are full of references to them. Comedy (κωμῳδία) is sometimes identified in theater history textbooks as the genre that depicts humanity’s baser desires: the sinful side of human nature. The glutton, the slacker, the vain person, etc. Whereas tragedy focuses on the higher ideals (courage, truth, justice). In another sense of the word, it simply means: a play that ends well. In this respect, I feel a kinship with the genre of Dark Farce. A dark farce is a carriage hurtling toward the abyss, spurred on ever faster by a coachman who’s lost his mind. Joe Orton’s plays (*Loot*, *What the Butler Saw*) are highly recommended, but in fact, Dostoevsky’s novels also serve as an inspiration for me (*The Brothers Karamazov*, *The Idiot*, *Demons*, *Crime and Punishment*). And, of course, Molière and Shakespeare. Amid these dark and increasingly absurd circumstances, I’m searching for a counterforce—where the personages might suddenly become vulnerable, tender, and in search of love.
For me, coming home has something to do with loving. On play, I don’t just try to “give shape” to that search; the play itself is part of that search. In that sense, I feel at home in comedy. For me, laughter and love often go hand in hand. When I laugh, I can love life more. (And I think that’s true for a lot of people.)
What is your ambition? To create performances that evoke something similar to what I described in the previous question in an audience. In the long term, I’d also like to start my own comedy troupe that makes this its mission.
What role does the Parktheater play in helping you realize this ambition? The Parktheater gives me the space—both physically and figuratively—to realize the aspirations and dreams I described above! The Parktheater offers artistic and events support to help me develop professionally over the course of 2.5 years. A dramatic role, then—and I’m thrilled to have it! <3
What can visitors expect from your work? Just go in with an open mind ;)
[1] Quote comes from Heidegger's lectures on Nietzsche.
Want to know more about Luuk and his work?
Follow him via the Parktheater website or contact
info@luukritmeester.nl
