Dates

28.10. 2017 / 19:30

Information

Benjamin Jarrett:  SPRING CLEANING

Ritualistic farce of the author’s early social/sexual imprinting, utilizing particular songs as well as film sound bites, as triggers for those memories. This piece shines a light onto prepubescent vulnerability to mainstream cultural norms.

In this piece Benjamin uses his body as a canvas to project his own fears and fantasies, old and new. It’s an attempt at peace-making with the scared adolescent boy who was too afraid to express his desires in public. He is not attempting to be or act as a woman, but to CLEAN or purge from his Self the antiquated idea that he must behave as a Man.

“The piece did not begin around these topics, but rather simply trying out old ideas, like dusty trinkets, collecting on the shelves of my mind, to see if they were worth keeping or destined for the wastebasket, hence the title.  Certain taboos disturbed and excited me, and I knew that this piece would have to address long-suppressed sexual/social anxieties, which were holding me back from growing as a person.

Spring Cleaning was created within two residencies in 2015: L1 Association, Budapest and SAFEhouse Arts, RAW, San Francisco.

Performed by: Benjamin Jarrett
Duration: 30 min.

Jan Bárta: Pitch

It’s as if I’ve overheard what I’ve seen, and overlooked what stands in front of me and talks to me loudly. Could it have gone so far? How remarkable. But it shouldn’t happen anymore – I could lose my presence and the direction of the original intention – not to get lost! I should be more alert and perceptive with all my senses, so that I finally realize that somebody has already appreciated me with his or her attention.

What really does attract our attention? How much do we have to concentrate in order to perceive a certain object or story? Is it true that our primary attention is above all caught by eccentricity, unexpectedness and originality?

People are forced more and more to broaden their perception. The quantity of impulses that we must simultaneously perceive is increasing all the time. But the more we try to grasp these ever-growing impulses, the less we concentrate. It leads to our feeling overwhelmed, and to the worsening of our recognitive abilities. We concentrate more on brief, shallow experiences, which provides us with immediate and easy responses.

Concept, performer by: Jan Bárta
Lighting and sound design, dramaturgy: Tomáš Morávek
Dramaturgy: Tereza Vohryzková
Thanks to: Markéta Jáchymová, Zuzana Kropáčová, Erikk Mckenzie
Duration 30 min.
Supported by the City of Prague and MeetFactory.

Dramaturgy of the evening and supervision: Jaro Viňarský.