Dr. David Strnad’s workshop, entitled Jazz Dance Training, brought exhilaration, energy and, above all, a great atmosphere to room 202 of the Theatre Faculty of JAMU. This “freest” of dance techniques showed the participants how fun movement can be.
The production “As we were” touches upon themes of adolescence, family dynamics, the acceleration of time, and high expectations. Right from the start, we encounter the main protagonist, who boards the train and wants to rest. Later, two other individuals join him: a mother searching for her son, and the aunt of the mentioned boy. Within the confines of a small compartment, conversations unfold, interwoven with invisible ties, and the symbolism of a railway subtly points to a rapidly changing world.
How do we proceed when we wake up from the bad dream of everyday life into an even bigger nightmare, where everyone becomes a prisoner of the word, in the space of a small train compartment overlooking the landscape, which, however, cycles back in time to the original image of the train station, where the whole story begins?
In times of personal despair, one reaches for various ways to mute, purify, or replace the pain experienced. There are many such ways. The genesis of such helpful practices goes perhaps as far back as Antiquity. The question is: what to choose?
Martyr, from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, brought to the stage of Husa na provázku a satire of religion, the school system, and human society. The production is dominated by great acting performances and an interesting set.
Sneezing. Coughing. Yawning. When does it start? The hall is dark, and the murmurs of the expectant crowd can be heard. Where to begin? What topic to choose first? Where to find the point of our existence. Is it here and now, or there and later? Right from the beginning of the performance, the audience can ponder the futility of the actions, words, and movements of the actors. To proceed without reflection.
Not Found is an original production by three performers from the Dimitri Academy in Switzerland, which, in addition to the theme, also seeks answers to a number of questions. The summary of the production describes a state in which we long to know as many answers as possible, but the multitude of them overwhelms us and we get lost in new and new question-ending formulations. And that is exactly what the production is. It was created based on a single request that the students were given. Create the performance you want to create right now!
The human body and its entire system of tiny, sophisticated nerves and resilient muscles do not form a mere shell for the mind, but rather offer it a partner that can withstand its broad spectrum.
At 4:48 in the morning, the author of this play, Sarah Kane, would regularly wake up. What she faced throughout her life, she poured into her work. This play, chosen by three Serbian students for adaptation, has a very heavy and sad story. Autobiographical elements cannot be overlooked, but the author did not provide any “manual” for staging this play. A hospital environment accompanies the audience throughout the entire performance. Frequent interaction compels the audience to observe, be vigilant, alert, and search within the enormous cloud of text permeating the room. The theme of depression, thoughts bombarding the mind, feelings of loneliness and helplessness – all of this can be heard, seen, felt.
