Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Constanza Macras moved to Berlin in 1995 as a dancer before setting up her first dance company. Since then she has choreographed and taught internationally. Her company DorkyPark combines theatre, text, music and video. Their ensemble show Open For Everything appears at the Royal Court this summer as part of LIFT and explores the stagnation of the European Roma community. We asked Constanza for her thoughts on the show, working in translation and the evolution of Berlin.

Eli Goldstone: Can you tell us a little more about your show, Open For Everything?

Constanza Macras: It came from one of the auditions, there was a family and each member of it was introducing themselves and adding the sentence after their name: "And I'm open for everything." It was obviously a virtual translation that for me works as a metaphor for the misunderstandings and misconceptions about the Roma community.

Eli: Its performance at the Royal Court here in London coincides with Gypsy Roma Traveller Month 2016. What is your connection to the Roma community? 

Constanza: I have a connection that was created through the process of making this piece. I created this project in 2012 with 2 previous years of workshops and preparation and we have toured a lot since then. I have also continued working with some of the cast in many other projects. Open For Everything is a piece about Roma communities in Czech Republic and Hungary where they are subject to extreme segregation and violence, where they work for very low salaries in big factories that produce affordable goods for the rest of Europe. And at the same time are constantly harassed. It felt like the moment to bring up a show where stereotypes are challenged.

Eli: The show involves international members of your own company as well as Romani musicians and dancers: what was the collaboration like?

Constanza: It was a great time, there was a very organic, emphatic connection between the cast members and the process that lasted 3 month was nourishing for everybody. There were also a lot of misunderstandings that had not just to do with language. The process was always translated to English from Czech and Hungarian and translations between these two languages was also needed.The translators suffer the worse stress I think.

Eli: Open For Everything explores ideas of identity and alienation: how do you feel about the current political climate of the EU and how does it affect your work?

Constanza: I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed for Europe closing itself. I'm Argentinean and my whole family left  Europe last century because of hunger and poverty  in their home countries. They moved to Argentina where they were welcome. Migrations change society and shape history. The refugee crisis is bringing out

the best and worst of humanity. Unfortunately the worst is the part that is in power.

Eli: Is humour an important tool for communicating big ideas to audiences?

Constanza: In my case it's necessary for tragedy and humour to go hand by hand.

Eli: You’ve lived in Berlin for over 20 years, what is special about the city that has captured your heart?

Constanza: What was? Berlin in the nineties was amazing, it had a bit of the feeling of Buenos Aires in the mid eighties after the dictatorship. It was unpredictable, underground, bizarre. The architecture was chaotic, there were vestiges of history everywhere, but not the beautification of history that makes Europe very tiring to the spirit. There were bullet holes from second world war, traces of monuments from GDR that were removed. In Berlin the history of Europe was present in every step. Berlin is changing, gentrification does no good to a city that is not densely populated like Berlin. There are no parallel arrangements, it just becomes more expensive, more predictable, you start to know where to find everything and this is scary.

Eli: Would you ever consider returning to Argentina?

Constanza: I have been working just now in Buenos Aires at the opera house. This is the first time I have worked in Argentina since I left more than 20 years ago, and it has been extraordinary,  but I don't consider it. I would like to keep on working there sometimes, just as  I would and will work again in South Africa and I wish I could go back and stay some more in China. I really lost the nostalgia of one home.  I miss many places.

Eli: Finally, one of the themes of this year’s LIFT festival is empathy.  Could you talk a little about how Open For Everything engages with ideas of empathy?

Constanza: The cast is extremely empathetic, they carry the show with talent, humour and pain.

Open For Everything runs from the 16th-18th June at the Royal Court Theatre