Romeo Castellucci's 'Bros' Explores Obedience and Terror at Triennale Milano

Romeo Castellucci's new performance 'Bros' premiered at Triennale Milano, co-produced with Emilia Romagna Teatro and international institutions. The piece features about thirty non-professional performers dressed as US police officers, moving as a cohesive unit. Castellucci commands them directly, and the audience receives a 'behavioral index' at entry, with statements like 'I am willing to believe I am a real policeman' and 'I will execute all orders even if I don't understand them.' Opposing the police militia is an old man played by Romanian actor Valer Dellakeza, reciting verses from the Book of Jeremiah in Romanian. Two professional actors, Luca Nava and Sergio Scarlatella, are stripped and tortured when they resist uniformity. Visual elements include placards with a thoughtful baboon, Samuel Beckett, and a woman's face, which become objective correlatives of violence. Mottos by Claudia Castellucci, translated into Latin by Stefano Bartolini, comment on authoritarian drift. The chilling finale shows adoration of a new 'prophet'—a puppet on a pole—and a child dressed in white with a police badge. Music by Scott Gibbons is invasive and hallucinatory. Castellucci deepens his exploration of domination and language from his previous work 'Terzo Reich,' focusing on the ease with which people consent to obey and become willing executioners.