Dance Through the Fence – Everyone has a different story
23/9/2009 20:00 - A theatrical mosaic which tells the real stories of refugees from Chechnya, Burma, Georgia and Kurdistan accompanied by the Allstar Refugee Band.
Dance Through the Fence was created as part of Archa Theatres Dialogy na útěku (Dialogues on the Run) project and is the result of a close collaboration between professional artists, asylum seekers and foreigners who have found a new home in the Czech Republic. A theatrical mosaic was formed which tells the real stories of refugees from Chechnya, Burma, Georgia and Kurdistan. Their fates and life stories confront the reality of everyday life in a new country. The find themselves in often peculiar, sometimes comic and often tragic situations.
Each of the stories was created from an intimate dialogue between the immigrant and performer (actor or dancer). The actor become the messenger or instrument through which the foreigner stages his or her own story. Very intimate confessions of people with moving stories were created, which each actor or dancer tells in an original way. The director and author of the project, Jana Svobodová, brought on board the writer Hana Andronikova, who gave each of the real stories a dramatic form. Audiences had the chance to witness short solo performances in various orders. Some watch tragic stories followed by stories with happy endings, while others first watch happy stories followed by tragic ones.
The performance also features music by the international group of musicians Allstar Refugee Band led by American musician and dramatist Michael Romanyshyn. Jan Kraus, Václav Moravec, Jiří František Potužník and Jan Budař appear in media clips.
In Czech with English subtitles.
Staging, concept, direction: Jana Svobodová
Written by: Hana Andronikova
Music: Michael Romanyshyn
Light design: Pavla Beranová
Costumes and sets: Libuše Josefy
Featuring: Eva Hromníková, Daniel Raček, Petra Lustigová, Philipp Schenker, Jing Lu, Jana Svobodová, Gugar Manukjan, Abdulrahman Kasem
In media clips: Jan Budař, Jan Kraus, Václav Moravec, Jiří František Potužník.
Allstar Refugee Band: Gugar Manukjan (accordeon), Abdulrahman Kasem (oud, vocals), Jan Středa (trumpet), Adam Koller (drums), Michael Romanyshyn (clarinet), Jindřich Krippner (clarinet, saxophone)
Production: Pavlína Kalandrová, Jindřich Krippner
Technician: Vladimír Hubička
Photos: David Kummerman
Film documentary: Jan Šípek
Graphic design: Adam Uchytil
Premiered on March 11, 2008 at 20:00 in Archa Theatre
Links:
MySpace Allstar Refugee Band: http://www.myspace.com/allstarrefjudziband
From the press:
“The performance takes place throughout the entire space of the Archa Theatre. The audience follows a trail from one stage to the next, each with a different story. A major part of the show is the ‘klezmer’ orchestra led by the USA’s Michael Romanyshyn. Jing Lu from China as a bizarre singer of shrill Chinese tango is irresistible.”
Nina Vangeli, Hospodářské noviny
“With this project Archa Theatre has crossed the boundary of pure artistic theatre towards social and documentary drama. It is a worthwhile and important theatrical enterprise.”
Vladimír Hulec, Reflex/exonline
The project was supported by a grant from Iceland, Lichtenstein aand Norway as part of the EHP Fund and the Norwegian Foundation for the Development of Civil Society.
Special thanks: The Refugee Authority of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.
Tickets: CZK 190 / CZK 120 students and seniors / Archa.klub discount 30%
For sale at the Archa Theatre box office and TICKETPRO outlets (subject to additional booking fee)
