Jiří Adámek

Europeans

Photo: Petr Králík

Pleasures, those blessed sparks!

Producer Boca Loca Lab (CZ)
Coproducers Jedefrau.org (CZ), Experimentální prostor Roxy/Nod (CZ)
Opening 14. 5. 2008 Experimental SpaceRoxy/NoD (CZ)
Running time 55 minutes. No interval.

Concept by Jiří Adámek, Martina Musilová, Jakub Kopecký

Libretto, musical composition and direction Jiří Adámek
Dramaturge Martina Musilová
Set design, costumes, masks, projection Jakub Kopecký
Musical collaboration Jan Krejčík
Sound designers Jan Burian, Mikoláš Růžička
Lighting designers Marek Střížovský, Jakub Kopecký
Movement collaboration Zuzana Sýkorová
Make-up designer Monika Šonková-Baďurová

Cast
Veduna Štíchová soprano
Anna Synková alto
Pavol Smolárik tenor
Petr Vančura bass

The performance composition Europeans records European feelings of disorientation and loss of self-confidence, and the disintegration of common cultural and ideological ground. The libretto is constructed from newspaper headlines, media slogans and contemporary clichés. It thus reveals the all-encompassing presence of the media, and its attempts to politicize our lives. Thanks to them, we have the feeling that various threats endanger us on all sides, be it fear of China, the Russian enemy or the over-powerful alibi, North America.
The structure of Europeans reminds us of a musical composition, yet it is essentially theatre. The basic starting point is not a script in the traditional sense of the word, but rather libretto or music for vocal parts. Instead of rejoinders and dialogue, the compositional elements are words, fragments of words, sounds and noise. It consists of unoriginal, over-used and recycled speech. The actors on stage are wedded to technology, just like today's people in their everyday lives.