The Green Table: In the Spotlight
Choreography & Libretto: Kurt Jooss
Music: Fritz Cohen
Design: Hein Heckroth
Premiere: 3rd July 1932, Paris
The Green Table is a ballet that has always fascinated me, ever since I discovered its existence a few years ago. This was when I was particularly obsessed with researching any ballet that was created within the interwar period of the 1920’s and 30’s, including The Haunted Ballroom and Jardin aux Lilas. What drew me to this ballet was its narrative, that seemed so incredibly contemporary to the time it was written, but also timeless now looking back on it with the context we have today.
The ballet opens with a group of diplomats, known as ‘The Gentlemen in Black’ surrounding a green table. They are dressed in coat and tails and are depicted as older gentlemen and seem to be debating and discussing political affairs, pointing to different areas of the table as if it were a map. There is a lot of play fighting and bowing, before the conversation becomes more serious; they pull out guns and declare war. The ballet then goes onto portray the ‘different aspects of wartime’. These include:
separation from loved ones (The Farewells)
the war itself (The Battle)
loneliness and misery (The Refugees)
fruitless hope (The Partisan)
the emotional void & atmosphere of forced entertainment (The Brothel)
the psychologically beaten and wounded survivors (The Aftermath)
In each of these scenes, Death is a rather boldfaced and triumphant character, claiming the lives of many, particularly soldiers and women. The women are portrayed as the mothers, wives, girlfriends or loved ones of the soldiers, or as prostitutes in the scene entitled ‘The Brothel’. They represent key people in any soldier’s life, present no matter what war is being fought in any part of history. By the end of The Aftermath, Death has won, having killed everybody, leading to the last scene, which, to me is one of the most truthful parts. After all the turmoil of the six inner scenes filled with death, punishment and the pain of war, the ballet finishes as it started, with ‘The Gentleman in Black’. Again, they are sat around ‘the green table’; the war that has now passed having solved nothing. And so, the cycle continues, with one war over another must begin, and we can only assume that this is what they are plotting!
The score is a rather quaint but contemporary solo piano work, that although is quite ‘of its time’, does have some powerful moments and some interesting qualities to it. I think the simplicity of the score adds to the seriousness of the piece, since it gives the production a very stripped back atmosphere avoiding the opulence of having a full orchestra. When it comes to the dance, although it will always be known as a ballet, the choreography is quite contemporary as well, with a lot of dance theater and mime involved. Here, the theatrical techniques really help to convey the story and get to the crux of the message that is being communicated. The combination of the dance and the music make for a very solemn, honest and compelling production.
In my opinion, this is one of the most timeless ballets that I have come across, and certainly the most relatable. It is as poignant today as it was on its premiere, and therefore should be performed much more regularly than it is. I believe it conveys a message that we should all witness and learn from, which is the devastation of war. Not only the devastation, but also how ultimately war solves nothing and only leads to greater harm. I would have thought by now, we as a species would understand this, however due to recent events it is evident that that is not the case. My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering, and I hope we can all pull together to fight back and end this conflict before it is too late. However, if this ballet is to be believed, it looks as though there is a long road ahead of us.
