Europeana. A Brief History of the Twentieth Century.

Europeana. A Brief History of the Twentieth Century

Europeana is an adaptation of the world-famous book by Patrik Ouředník “Europeana. A Brief History of the Twentieth Century”.

2017

Original text by: Patrik Ouředník
Directed by: Kamil Bystrický
Adaptation by: Juraj Benko, Kamil Bystrický, Tomáš Plánka Conceived by: Kamil Bystrický, Tomáš Plánka
Cast: Kamil Bystrický, Tomáš Plánka
Music by: Matúš Homola using the song Horst Wessel Lied, Tomáš Plánka – the “Translator” scene
Narrations by: Kamil Bystrický, Tomáš Plánka,
Ondrej Slivka, Martina Šimoňáková
Produced by: KOLOMAŽ (contemporary art association)
Renewed premiere: 12.1. 2017, First Chamber Theatre,
Klub Lúč, Trenčín, Slovakia

  • Annotation
  • Gallery
  • Multimedia
  • Calendar
Annotation

It describes the great expectations prevailing at the end of the 19th century. The new century was to be an entirely different era in the history of mankind – more rational, more humane and more joyful. In the end, it all slipped out of hands like a wet bar of soap. The more tightly we tried to hold it, the more unpredictable it got. The soap….
From among the topics and plots mentioned in the book, the authors of the play chose to focus on the search for purity. The growing obsession with collective and individual hygiene went from raising the population’s hygiene standards to the most perverse theories of pure race and class. Millions of those considered impure had a firsthand experience with the desire for a pure race. But, when felling trees, new trees need to be planted, and, when killing, reproduction is needed. Along with the sadism against others, there was the effort to be as good and effective as possible at giving birth to new generations. After World War II, the focus on pure-breeding the collective transformed into individuals’ focus on quality sex. The undying zeal to clean and improve something continued, however, the focus moved from purity at the collective level to purity of individuals and their souls. “And no one wanted to be poor anymore and everyone wanted to have a refrigerator and a cordless telephone and a dog and a cat and a tortoise and a vibrator and take part in sports and attend psychoanalysis.”
Each topic is presented as a scene containing a minimum of scenic elements. Symbols, rhythm and dynamics dominate and the scenes share common sound and lighting elements. There is no story, only a continuous flow of sentences, words, gestures and images creating a news-like documentary snapshot of the life of man and society in the 20th century.

Gallery
Multimedia
Calendar

No shows booked at the moment.

This is a unique website which will require a more modern browser to work!

Please upgrade today!