One evening - two art forms. One topic - two worlds. Audiovisual projection with child actors - and physical theatre with adult performers. The online radicalisation of children vs. juvenile behaviour of our society. The dynamic movement of the performers, the pulse of live music and disturbing images create an unusual insight into the digital darkness that most of us are – perhaps intentionally – unaware of.

Following

24. november

Commander

19:00 - 20:30

25. november

Commander

19:00 - 20:30

 

Commander DOX+ web (18 of 70)

CMD film still 5

Commander DOX+ web (27 of 70)

CMD film still 2

Commander DOX+ web (39 of 70)

CMD film still 4

Premiere of the physical theatre performance and the audiovisual artwork starring child actors culminated the Farm in the Cave’s artistic project Commander, which explores the online radicalization of children and youth. Both artworks include authentic dialogues taken from real chats of an extremist online group that was run by a thirteen-year-old boy operating under the nickname “Commander.”

In the audiovisual part, we see these dialogues that happened online transplanted into a new environment: children are saying them while being in common, everyday situations. This clash allows us to see these children in new ways, ways in which we do not want to see them. The children’s conversations about sex, death, and hate have a chilling atmosphere that balances on the border of absurdity, humour, and unease. On the other hand, the performance, by means of physical theatre, depicts a company of immature adults who play their lives like a game. The performers' dynamic movement, the pulse of live music, and disturbing images together create an unusual insight into the digital darkness that most of us are – perhaps intentionally – unaware of.

The production bears the distinctive artistic signature of the Farm in the Cave ensemble. Both parts – the physical and the audiovisual – were created by a team led by Viliam Dočolomanský. The work of the internationally acclaimed physical theatre ensemble Farm in the Cave combines physical theatre, video, film, and live music into a unified work of art and has long been engaged in the exploration of contemporary and neglected social issues. In 2022, the ensemble celebrates the 20th anniversary of its existence.

 

Performers: Andrej Štepita, Gioele Coccia, Nicolas Garsault, Barbora Ješutová, Matuš Szegho, Hana Varadzinová, Štěpán Janoušek, Šimon Janák

Starring (audiovisual part): Julian Hajduk Brown, Heřman Tajovský, František Souček, Tomáš Richard Brenton, Michal Vrubel, Kryštof Brož, Kryštof Koníček, Oliver Vyskočil, Mikuláš Rychetský a další.

 

Project Commander was created in co-production with the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art and LOFFT – DAS THEATER, with the support of The PPF Foundation, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague, European Solidarity Corps, and the City of Leipzig – Cultural Office, and in partnership with O2 Chytrá škola, Prague Music Performance, and Stable-Studios.

 

The reprises on 16 and 17 June 2023 are performed as part of PQ+ programme.

PQ+ is an accompanying programme of the festival Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, presenting contemporary Czech scenographic and performance production to an international professional audience.
PQ+ is organised by the PerformCzech / Arts and Theatre Institute in collaboration with PQ and is financially supported by the Czech Recovery Plan, NextGenerationEU.
 
 

Creative Team

Reasearch Marie Jun, Markéta Hrehorová, Monika Kaššaiová, Kristýna Bartošová, Hana Varadzinová, Viliam Dočolomanský

Visual identity of the project Patrik Svoboda

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Part I

Concept by, Director, Choreographer Viliam Dočolomanský

Dramaturgy Sodja Lotker, Markéta Hrehorová

Music Štěpán Janoušek

Assistant Director Hana Varadzinová, Jan Rajmont

Video Design Erik Bartoš, Sláva Pecháček, Karel Šindelář

Set and Costumes Lucia Škandíková

Light Design Felice Ross

Sound Design Eva Svobodová

Lights Lukáš Jíra, František Fabián

Sound Eva Svobodová, Adam Veselý

Video Operator Jakub Krejčí

Cooperation on movement research Eliška Vavříková

Production Anely Jeromin, Sophia V. Q. Stoltz, Anna-Maria Zwyrtek, Ondřej Wald

Technical Production Filip Rohde, Jan Rajmont

Technical Cooperation Leoš Válka, DOX, Stable-Studios

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Part II

Editor Karel Šindelář

Directed by Viliam Dočolomanský

Director of Photography Václav Fronk

Script by Viliam Dočolomanský, Marie Jun, Markéta Hrehorová

Dramaturgy Markéta Hrehorová, Sodja Lotker

Film Supervision Radim Špaček

Music Marcel Bárta, Aigel

Architect Lucia Škandíková

Executive Producer Jan Horáček

Production Anely Jeromin, Hana Varadzinová, Markéta Hrehorová

Casting Farma v jeskyni, Kristýna Bartošová

Assistant Director Robert Beca, Manlai Erdembileg

Location Manager David Jánský

Postproduction UPP

Sound Jiří Graf, NAPA Records