New Blood on the Stage 2023

Young emerging artists, who are about to complete their studies at DAMU, would like to introduce their work by presenting the project „Až umřu, pusťte mi…”

The production Až umřu, pusťte mi… was first performed at the Proces 22, the DAMU summer Thesis Festival. It was created under the auspices of the Department of Alternative Puppet Theatre, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU), under the supervision of the class pedagogues Petra Tejnorová, Jiří Adámek, Kristýna Täubelová, Veronika Svobodová. It is an original, collective work. The authors first worked with materials traditionally linked to cabaret and based on well-known as well as less familiar sources, such as the Cabaret of Fred Ebb and John Kender, the French Cabaret Voltaire, and A. Jodorowsky. Later, however, they felt they needed to find their own style and stand up against the stereotypical idea of cabaret. Their goal was, among other things, to think about cabaret beyond entertainment. Very soon they began collecting a variety of documentary material. It has been included in the play, representing one of the key layers. They drew on random statements and audio recordings of their acquaintances and relatives, but also passers-by, fellow travellers, teachers, classmates, regardless whether it was a FAMU student, a night club attendant, a dancer on the train, or a relative in Moravian Slovakia. The question was clear: How do you imagine cabaret?

The cabaret form offers an opportunity for a direct communication with audiences and virtuosity in acting. The form is still alive, light. We attempted to look at cabaret not only as a form of entertainment. We tried to present an alternative concept of this genre, a new perspective. We also wanted to test the boundary between direct creation of reality on the stage, in the sense of creating real obstacles, and what is a clearly created illusion. Such a gesture clearly tests the audience’s presence.

Registered project:

When I die, play this for me
Do you have a playlist for your funeral?

When I die, play this for me
…

Welcome to a playful, alternative cabaret.

People who really fight for their existence. A dynamic theatre format examining the theme of death. Four people, passing each other on stage, meet in absurd situations. Someone is looking for understanding and attention, another is trying to finish his part, another always runs away from the stage, someone simply gets lost…

And someone has basically no choice but to die.

Direction: Domen Shuman
Scenography: Martin Tůma
Performed by: Štěpánka Todorová, Naďa Melková, David Petrželka, Richard Janča
Costumes: Anna Nevrlá
Production: Karolína Hudská

Supported by: Nova sit z.s., KALD DAMU

The premiere took place in June 2022 as part of the theses festival Proces22 at DAMU.

60 min

The group KHWOSHCH has created a successful play Dinopera (nominated for the award Cena Divadelnich novin, a second place at the festival Přelet nad loutkářským hnízdem 2021, among others). The group – with the more less same team – continues exploring in the same direction in the project Heavy Theatre.

Daria Gosteva is the author of the play Moskva – Dačnoie (festival Přelet nad loutkářským hnízdem 2022), Vavřinec Němec created the play Karkůlka aneb jak se do lesa, tak se z lesa těžko. Tomáš Kočí was/is responsible for the production of the projects Příchozí (Vzlet, 2022), Budenebude kůň, KUKOKLI, etc. Frieda Gawenda has initiated the music and theatre project Hund (Gras FM at Berlin’s Schaubude), and Mathias Baresel performs with his solo project Ted Brasko.

Registered project:

Heavy Theatre is a performance between movement (non-verbal), object, visual and musical theatre. The main source of inspiration is heavy materials or objects such as logs and stumps, stones, rails, beams, statues, bells, chains, ropes, etc. The project explores the performative potential of heavy objects and their manipulation. The use of such heavy objects creates new situations in which not only the performer animates the object, but also the object, by its weight, form and size, animates the parformer. Heavy materials or objects will also be used to create music or “soundscapes” of the performance. The performance will use both ready-made materials and modified objects such as sculptures or kinetic constructions. Therefore, the final form will also be preceded by the creation of an exhibition or installation of these objects (May 2023). Since Heavy Theatre is an initiative of artists (Daria Šalygina, Vavřinec Němec), the project will focus not only on the performance itself, but also on its preparation or installation, which is usually carried out by theatre technicians. We would like to make this reverse side of the theatre more visible. Other sources of inspiration for the creative team are the mythology of Asian or Nordic countries (e.g. Norway or Indonesia), mountaineering, new circus, traditional Tatra carrying, construction industry, etc. We also see as very performative and theatrical the ordinary moving of heavy objects that we can see every day on the street. Therefore, our work is also based on documenting similar activities.
We are currently conducting research on working with materials and objects, collecting methods of moving with materials and ways of modifying them. Subsequently, an installation of objects will be created (probably accompanied by a video of the rehearsals). A final performance will then be created through block residencies over the summer.

Concept + direction: Daria Gosteva, Vavřinec Němec, Tomáš Kočí, Frieda Gawenda
Scenography: Daria Gosteva, Vavřinec Němec
Production: Tomáš Kočí
Music: Frieda Gawenda, Mathias Baresel
Performers: Tomáš Kočí, Vavřinec Němec, Daria Gosteva, Frieda Gawenda, Mathias Baresel
Supported by: Nova sit, z.s