ANTIGONE IN NEPAL
the story of a liberation
Which truth is the correct one: that of the individual who wants to live his life through personal responsibility? Or that of the community which claims to know best what laws and what customs must be obeyed to achieve peaceful, human co-existence?
There are numerous examples of mistakes made by the upholders of both sides of this argument. Misguided people believe they can force their world-view by resorting to violence. Individual perpetrators see themselves as chosen to save the world, and become more and more radical until they destroy themselves. The constant struggle between the individual and the masses, between individual conviction and majority opinion, between feeling and power, determines our social process.
In »Antigone« by Sophocles, this tragic split is presented as a family story. Two brothers have killed each other: one, Polyneices, as the aggressor and the other, Eteocles, as defender of the city. The sisters, Antigone and Ismene, hear the verdict: one brother is to be buried and the aggressor is to be left to decay without mourning. Antigone sets her love for her brother higher than her obedience to the state and starts a fight against the authorities. Fighting for her own space, for a room for herself, for her integrity. The multimedia production combines video, sound and performance art in an exclusively arranged space, immerging into the digital media and audience interaction.
This epic story will be sensitively adapted to the surroundings and contents of Nepali life, addressing a local as well as an international audience. Based on contemporary dance and physical theatre choreographed by Oliver Pollak, the play emerges the space of dramatic expression, combining text, a fusion of traditional nepali and western classical music (KJC), multimedia video art by Gabor Hollos and improvisational work to a unique contemporary performance. It is going to be the first ancient drama with contemporary influences staged at an open air venue in Kathmandu, the unique setting of the Patan Museum. The city and its stories will build the guideline during the artistic process of the international team MADA[r]T.
Concept/Script: Michaela Nocker based on Sophocles/Eurydike/Peter Handke
Direction: Michaela Nocker and Che Shankar
Video Art: Gábor Hollós
Choreography: Oliver Pollak