Teater Drak breaks loose
September 8, 2023
From Sunday, September 17, Pilotscenen will be filled with puppets, lights, flames and a bevy of Czech actors ranging in age from 20 to 80.
– Something that characterizes Teater Drak's performances is their maximalism. No scenography can be too big, says Kjell Moberg, artistic director of Kloden theater.
Teater Drak is a Czech company that has been a pioneer in the development of puppet theatre. The company's primary target audience is children and young people. Moberg is excited to show Kloden the theater audience a different form of theater.
- Few other companies have the knowledge and workshops needed to build what we see in Drak's performances. The company is not afraid to use all the tools of the theater: the physical actor, puppets, lights, flames and large scenographic elements. The whole toolbox. Usually a theater company has up to five actors on stage, while Drak often plays with twenty," he says, and continues:
- Drak became world-famous when they established their way of combining live actors and puppets on stage. The company broke the illusion that you shouldn't see the people, only the puppets. This was revolutionary.
The audience has the opportunity to experience two of Teater Drak's plays at Kloden theater this fall. The Greek tragedy Antigone , and the toddler show Bedtime .
Antigone
Antigone is about the fate of a young heroine in an ancient Greek tragedy. Her father killed her own father, her grandfather, and had an affair with her mother, and therefore also with her mother and therefore also with her grandmother. Her brothers kill each other, and one of the brothers is not allowed to be buried by her future father-in-law. In addition, there are conflicts with her mother's brother or her grandmother's brother, whoever that may be. Things aren't easy with her sister either, and perhaps her sister also has problems with the heroine? It's hard to say.
The Oedipus complex. Psyche. Eros. Although Xanax is not a Greek word, it might as well be. Either way, it seems like a pyrrhic victory to enter adulthood with such burdens on your shoulders.
What has she done to deserve this? Why couldn't she have just been born into a normal family? And is there even such a thing as a normal family?
The heroine wants to take her fate into her own hands. But she faces an absurd prohibition that brings back the shadows of her family's past. Why should she be the one to bear the burden of mistakes and misdeeds committed by others? It seems she has no choice but to redefine her relationship to authority, to her parents, to those close to her, to the world and even to herself, just to be able to live a normal life.
Following the theatrical film "The Journey", this new adaptation of the ancient myth based on the motifs of Sophocles' tragedy is the second production in a new series of plays by Drak Theatre aimed at a teenage audience.
Target audience: From 13 years old
Venue: Pilotscenen
Duration: 80 minutes
Language: English
Cast:
Script: Tomáš Jarkovský and Jakub Vašíček
Director: Jakub Vašíček
Set design: Kamil Bělohlávek
Costumes: Tereza Vašíčková
Music: Daniel Čámský
Choreography: Dora Sulženko Hoštová
Dramaturg: Tomáš Jarkovský, Barbora Pokorná
Producer: Barbora Kalinová
Executive Producer: Martina Štětinová
Actors: Jazmína Piktorová, Edita Valášková, Milan Hajn, Šimon Dohnálek, Luděk Smadiš, Petr Reif, Barbara Jarkovská Humel, Jiří Vyšohlíd, Jan Popela, Dominik Linka, Pavla Lustyková, Petra Cicáková, Pavel Černík, Jan Čipčala, Šimon Ženíšek
The production is a collaboration with Městská divadla pražská.
Photo: Tomáš Roček
Antigone is played:
Sunday, September 17 at 19:00
Monday, September 18 at 13:00 and 19:00
Tuesday, September 19 at 09:00
Bedtime
Bedtime is based on the familiar situation where it is time for the children to go to bed, but suddenly they discover an unexpected energy that makes them not want to go to sleep at all. This brings little joy to the father, who thought he was going to get them to bed without any problems.
Welcome to an original performance that moves between poetic physical theater and clowning.
Target group: From 3 years old
Venue: Pilotscenen
Cast:
Concept: Veronika Poldauf Riedlbauchová, Marianna Stránská
Director and choreographer: Veronika Poldauf Riedlbauchová
Set designer: Marianna Stránská
Music: Jan Čtvrtník
Dramaturge: Tomáš Jarkovský
Lighting design: Michal Kříž
Actors: Petra Cicáková, Dominik Linka, Luděk Smadiš
Bedtime is played:
Wednesday, September 20 at 11:00 and 13:00
Teater Drak
Teater Drak is located in Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic. The theatre builds on the traditions of (eastern) bohemian puppetry, while emphasizing the creation of unique performances based on imagination and originality. These performances are aimed at both children and adults. Throughout its history, Teater Drak has been a pioneer in new methods and creative approaches, resulting in national and international awards.
