Following shows are no longer in programme.
Fiction
Deeper and deeper into the universe is where two astronauts set out in the production Fiction.It is not the same universe that you know from films, scientific programmes and documentaries. Even these two astronauts are not typical characters going in conquest of the Universe. On board their spaceship is a standard cargo of common human qualities, experiences and troubles. Their mission is everything but a properly planned mission. These two wanderers meet a curious life form from a different planet. It is not easy to make contact with it. They have to use their hands, legs, and tentacles in their mutual communication to understand elementary and simple things. But once one starts to understand the other, saying goodbye is always difficult…In space you can encounter mystery, danger, fear and beauty. Isn’t what we carry in our heads, however, much more mysterious, baffling, dangerous and beautiful than the whole universe? It is certainly just as infinite. If our minds are full of fantasy and our thoughts are unique, then this is probably the most valuable thing we possess. It can occur that our own way of thought isolates us but this is not a reason to give up. We must not allow ourselves to be deprived of our ideas, perceptions and dreams, especially the wacky ones. We must not permit the standardization of our thoughts. This would cause the collapse of the universe. It is precisely the fact that we are all different that unites us.
Script: Eva Asterová, Josef Tichý, Petr Liška, Michal Hecht
Choreography: Eva Asterová
Music: Zdeněk Zdeněk
Costume design: Dana Turečková, Eva Asterová
Costume realization: Emílie Bezdíčková
Properties realization: Stojan Nenov, Ivo Maurenc, Pavel Plocek
Art co-operation: František Tvrdek
Producer: Alexander Čihař
Clonarium
Our experience is that cross-fertilization is nothing new for us. For example we consider Noah’s Ark as the first gene bank. Paracelsus (1493–1541), a German chemist and doctor, first thought of the idea of producing a human being from a test tube. Nowadays it is Prof. Pražák who reveals the mysteries of genesis. He has moved his research from the electromechanical period to biologenetical. His experiments can be seen in Clonarium: a public lab for controlled genesis of the lower and higher order. It was here that put together his original Apparatus LTN, now in its fourth revision, with controlled oxygen and ammonia pipes. We can monitor this animal acceleration through an endoscope which was invented by the Professor’s assistant, Mr. Heřman. Pražák´s experimental biogenesis that you will be close up witnesses to, reaches an incredible 23% (!!). Of course animal experiments have their reasons. In Prof. Pražák´s opinion we are setting out on the road of assisted genesis and we do not have to experiment with innocent animals. After all, that’s why you are here – you came to the Clonarium to register as altruistic body cell donors. Prof. Pražák is planning to clone new transgenic animals in the future. They will be used for a variety of housework, for instance disposal of leftovers or dusting chores. His further tireless enthusiasm which has led to a large number of wild clones, are best described in his own words. “To create a new life, means to betray death.”
Acknowledgements :
Many thanks to the IMAGE theatre for installing Apparatus LTN in Prague, to Mr. Heřman for his genuine scientific enthusiasm and thoroughness throughout all our experimentation, to Miss Růžena for her brave and selfless help and also to theatre audiences who have taken part in the slightly risky presentations of my experiments.
Script: Eva Asterová, Josef Tichý, Petr Liška
Choreography: Eva Asterová
Music: Zdeněk Zdeněk, Alexander Čihař
Costume design: Eva Asterová, Ladislav Vyskočil
Film projection: Michal Lánský
Stage setting: František Tvrdek, Silvie Čepeláková
Producer: Alexander Čihař
Premiere: 3.8. 1999
Number of performance: 301
Night Flight
This production from 1994 was inspired by some scenes and situations connected with air transport of people. The audience take on the role of passengers on the board of Image Airlines. A thorough pre-boarding search before take-off has revealed an infernal machine. The irresponsible personnel consisting of two pilots and a flight attendant attempted to welcome all the passengers properly, but they are more interested in themselves than piloting the aeroplane. They manage to handle a dancing hijacker and then disappear along with the aeroplane into a mysterious triangle in the darkness of black theatre. Even the love triangle resolves itself unexpectedly. At the end of the 90-minute performance the the plane flies out of the mysterious triangle on the wings of fantasy and lands safely on the same spot from where it had taken off.
Script: Eva Asterová, Josef Tichý, Antonín Kopřiva
Choreography: Eva Asterová
Music: Zdeněk Zdeněk
Costumes: Vratislav Hlavatý, Eva Asterová,Soňa Benešová
Stage setting: Vratislav Hlavatý, František Tvrdek
Security service: Petr Liška
Producer: Alexander Čihař
Premiere: 21.8.1994, Last run: 20.6. 1999
Number of performance: 476
Fancy
We all know that strange feeling – this has happened before, we have already been in this situation. Have we or have we not? We are not sure.This is “Déjá vu” (seen before) phenomenon. Life suddenly seems to be a dream lacking any logic. Extraordinary persons appear from nowhere just to disappear again. Mysterious and simple blend into a cocktail of reality and irrationality. And suddenly this strange feeling is gone; we wake up feeling a bit sorry that everything is normal again. Similarly, the bizarre situation happens also to two men thrown out from backstage. Somewhat by mistake they appear on the stage in front of the audience. Their messing about is interrupted by appearance of an ethereal girl in white. Two pawns fascinated by the white queen follow her into a magic darkness of black theatre. Somewhere, where everything, even impossible, is possible. Extraordinary persons appear from nowhere just to disappear again. Logic of normal breaks into a kaleidoscope of strange situations. Now we can only hope that the two pawns will reach the white Fancy in their struggle. Afterwards we may feel sorry that illusions and dreams finish.
Script: Eva Asterová, Josef Tichý, René Pyš
Choreography: Eva Asterová
Music: Zdeněk Zdeněk, Petr Malásek, Peter Binder
Costumes: Eva Asterová, Soňa Benešová
Stage setting: František Tvrdek, Radek Cirhan
Producer: Alexander Čihař
Premiere: 20.7. 1992
Last run: 9.9. 1997
Number of performance: 956
Jazzmime stories
This original revue was our first production and a combination of black theatre scenes, pantomime sketches and modern music. The performance was the result of a collaboration of longtime friends: jazz musicians and theatre people. A playful, creative approach and shared sense of humour made a distinctive series of short stories. It is really something for those who love gags, absurd humour, those who like modern dance and the surprising visual effects of black theatre. Black theatre and surprising visual effects were combined together and produced entertainment, mysterious sets and a good mood. This crystalline production has been a successful part of our repertoire for a long time.
Script: Eva Asterová, Josef Tichý, Petr Liška, René Pyš
Choreography: Eva Asterová
Music: Zdeněk Zdeněk, Ivan Audes, Alexander Čihař, Petr Malásek
Costumes: Eva Asterová, Jindra Konečná, Petr Liška
Stage setting: František Tvrdek, Radek Cirhan
Producer: Alexander Čihař
Premiere: 17.2. 1990
Last run: 28.9. 1997
Number of performance: 231