Devising Minority Narratives: Bulgarian Theatre Alma Alter Performs the Roma and Their Others

Abstract This article discusses the performance Gypsy Ad (Gypsy Hell) by experimental company Alma Alter, which offers one of the most original and inclusive devising of Roma narratives on the Bulgarian stage. Drawing from field research, video archives, and personal interviews, it analyzes the synchronized and noncontradictory use of Jerzy Grotowski’s Poor Theatre and Paratheatre in the show that consequently enables physical as well as participatory exploration of the Roma myth. In the center of the discussion is the performance of Petya Yosifova, who constructs a dual stage persona of a Roma nomad in search of acceptance and an actor-provocateur who constantly challenges her audience’s perceptions and prompts self-evaluation. Operating in the liminal space between fictional and real and between embodiment and being, the actress performs archetypes and plays with stereotypes, ultimately unmasking their instability and addressing social divisions and isolationism amidst a precarious postcommunist environment.