Concept, choreography, direction: Lenka Vagnerová
Music: Ivan Acher
Scenography and Costumes: Eva Jiřikovská
Light design: Jiří Šmirk
Sound: Andrej Jurkovič
Photo: Vojtěch Brtnický, Romana Růžiková
Producer: Lenka Vagnerová & Company
Coproduction: Městská divadla pražská / Prague City Theatres
Project supported by: Capital City of Prague, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
Cast: Matilde Giacomelli, Eliška Hulínská, Adam Sojka / Lukas Lizama Garrido, Leo Terris, Leonard Vo Tan.
Presented without spoken text.
When things get out of control, we look for a way of to fixing them. The production about tolerance, weakness and strength, doubt and respect, desire to control and destruct. The ability to exist in symbiosis with other creatures on the planet, the importance of respecting the value of all beings, the uniqueness of species and the struggle to preserve them – these are the main themes of the production. The force and power of nature will always find their way and do what is necessary. Riders views human action through the eyes of birds. Of the ancient inhabitants of our planet, sentient, intelligent, free beings, shrouded in mythology. Of the silent observers of our destinies. We had learnt from them, admired them and worshipped them. Then we forgot. Birds are the only surviving group of dinosaurs. They were here before us and they will be here long after us.
"Now that we have learned to fly the air like birds, swim under water like fish, we lack one thing – to learn to live on earth as human beings." George Bernard Shaw
The International company Farm in a Cave and the DOX Center for Contemporary Art in the Lucerna Palace.
Sponsored by Perform Czech/Arts & Theater Institute, Prague
Part of Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival honoring Václav Havel, produced by the Václav Havel Center and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.
About
The contemporary dance theatre ensemble Lenka Vagnerová & Company was founded in 2012 by choreographer and director Lenka Vagnerová. Every year, the ensemble creates new progressive authors' productions that carry elements of dance, physical, puppet and dramatic theatre. Through its activity it participates in the systematic development of the genre of dance theatre on domestic and world stages. Existential questions, the urgency of human relationships to other beings and surroundings, play with reality and fantasy are characteristic for the production of the ensemble. Lenka puts emphasis on the precision of theatre situations, movement qualities, supports the individuality of performers, uses the strength and dynamics of the group, looks for physical possibilities and movement limits of one's own body.
The ensemble brings together outstanding artists such as: dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists, offers professional educational background, provides residences and internships, gives space to new theatrical forms and connects outstanding artists and creators.
Lenka Vagnerová regularly runs workshops and teaches her dance method "Talk Through Your Body" in dance ensembles, theatres and schools in the international field.
The ensemble with its performances gathered during its existence a number of significant awards and nominations both in the Czech Republic and abroad, e.g.: Herald Angel Award / The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Best Dance Performance / The Singapore Fringe Festival, The City of Pilsen Award / Skupova Pilsen International Festival, Dance Performance of the Year, Audience Award, Dancer of the Year / Czech Dance Platform Festival, Total Theatre Award Nomination / Edinburgh Fringe Festival, several Thalia Awards, etc.
ABOUT THE 2024 REHEARSAL FOR TRUTH INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL
Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring Václav Havel, is a showcase of contemporary European theater organized each year in New York City. Conceived in 2017 as a shared endeavor of the Václav Havel Center (VHC) and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA), the festival honors the legacy of Czech playwright, dissident and political thinker Vaclav Havel.
Each edition of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival addresses current sociopolitical trends in Central and Eastern Europe, offering New York audiences a unique opportunity to witness the region’s theatrical zeitgeist.
The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.