DOMEN ŠUMAN AND COLLECTIVE

Young emerging artists, who are about to complete their studies at DAMU, would like to introduce their work by presenting the project „Až umřu, pusťte mi…”

The production Až umřu, pusťte mi... was first performed at the Proces 22, the DAMU summer Thesis Festival. It was created under the auspices of the Department of Alternative Puppet Theatre, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU), under the supervision of the class pedagogues Petra Tejnorová, Jiří Adámek, Kristýna Täubelová, Veronika Svobodová. It is an original, collective work. The authors first worked with materials traditionally linked to cabaret and based on well-known as well as less familiar sources, such as the Cabaret of Fred Ebb and John Kender, the French Cabaret Voltaire, and A. Jodorowsky. Later, however, they felt they needed to find their own style and stand up against the stereotypical idea of cabaret. Their goal was, among other things, to think about cabaret beyond entertainment. Very soon they began collecting a variety of documentary material. It has been included in the play, representing one of the key layers. They drew on random statements and audio recordings of their acquaintances and relatives, but also passers-by, fellow travellers, teachers, classmates, regardless whether it was a FAMU student, a night club attendant, a dancer on the train, or a relative in Moravian Slovakia. The question was clear: How do you imagine cabaret?

The cabaret form offers an opportunity for a direct communication with audiences and virtuosity in acting. The form is still alive, light. We attempted to look at cabaret not only as a form of entertainment. We tried to present an alternative concept of this genre, a new perspective. We also wanted to test the boundary between direct creation of reality on the stage, in the sense of creating real obstacles, and what is a clearly created illusion. Such a gesture clearly tests the audience's presence.

Registered project:

When I die, play this for me
Do you have a playlist for your funeral?

When I die, play this for me
...

Welcome to a playful, alternative cabaret.

People who really fight for their existence. A dynamic theatre format examining the theme of death. Four people, passing each other on stage, meet in absurd situations. Someone is looking for understanding and attention, another is trying to finish his part, another always runs away from the stage, someone simply gets lost...

And someone has basically no choice but to die.

Direction: Domen Shuman
Scenography: Martin Tůma
Performed by: Štěpánka Todorová, Naďa Melková, David Petrželka, Richard Janča
Costumes: Anna Nevrlá
Production: Karolína Hudská

Supported by: Nova sit z.s., KALD DAMU

The premiere took place in June 2022 as part of the theses festival Proces22 at DAMU.

60 min