In The Voice, Rita Mazza, a Deaf artist, shares intimate stories through their whole body. The piece premiered at Sophiensæle from 28 to 30 August 2024 in the frame of Tanz im August.
Rita Mazza sits with their back to us. They continuously blow through a long straw into a cup of water. A microphone is attached to their body and I, a hearing audience member, can hear the loud gurgling sound. The gurgling gradually intensifies, along with the sound of inhales. Rita’s body heaves up and down, in sync with their breathing, making their effort visible. They turn to face the audience.
On a screen that displays text that is simultaneously translated into German sign language (DGS) by Aurelia Schäfer, a DGS interpreter and performer, I read:
This time, the voice comes in.
Rita’s live voice joins the gurgling sound. The voice strikes me as vulnerable, yet generous. It gradually takes on the tune of a song.
The speech therapy sessions don’t give me any input anymore.
The gurgle-singing crescendos into an emotional song with bursts of high notes. Then, Rita leaves the straw and dances with no other sound but their breathing.
If I show my voice, I express myself completely.
If I hide it, I remain in control.
In control.
Rita’s body becomes an instrument to visualise the heavy breathing. Sometimes big, at other times subtle, their physical movements reflect the motions of air travelling inside. A thin ray of condensed white spotlight shines down. Rita frames their own body parts in the glowing square of light. To inspect their bare body so closely…
When the therapist complimented me about my voice, I felt proud.
The spotlight dissolves into a larger and fainter white that shines over Rita’s entire body. They sit in stillness and breathe, letting themselves be seen plainly without any layers of distraction. This act of vulnerability releases sorrow that spreads through my body. Rita’s breathing escalates until it becomes like crying.
I’ve been confronted with:
This may trigger you, sorry in advance, but it turns me on.
A jab of anger and disgust.
Someone asked me if speech therapy is for Deaf people.
I asked my therapist why adults get therapy.
She replied:
They fall in love with Hearing people.
They want to join sports activities.
They want to make new Hearing friends.
Rita looks into the big rectangular piece of silver foil that is hanging from above, which reflects their features as if on the water. They vanish to the other side of the foil. With a change of light, it turns transparent, showing Rita breathing heavily while pressing their body into the wall of foil, on and on. The feeling of exhaustion and loneliness washes over me.
During the first day of my speech therapy, I suddenly had a wish to speak.
They emerge from behind the foil with a small rectangular scrap of foil that covers their face. When the light shines on the foil, it reflects strongly, hurting my eyes. Is this foil a wall that one carries around with oneself?
Would I find something new inside of me that changes who I am?
Rita starts to hum
lets go of the foil
dances in sync with their hums
releasing
control
The Voice by Rita Mazza premiered at Sophiensæle from 28 to 30 August 2024 in the frame of Tanz im August.
