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.
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.
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