The Symptoms: The meaning of life
-
or Passing Away Time in 60 Minutes
Szkéné Theatre, November 28. 5.30 PM
with English translation!
Directed by Réka Szabó
Writer, adaptation: Krisztián Peer
Performers & co-creators:
Gergely Bánki, Rita Góbi, István Gőz, Márta Szabó, Dániel Szász, Zsófia Tamara Vadas, Réka Szabó, Albert Márkos, Hunor G. Szabó
Musicians: Albert Márkos, Hunor G. Szabó
Lights and space: Attila Szirtes
Special thanks: Dóra Furulyása, Tímea Oláh
Do you really think I’m going to tell you in the first sentence?
How about a little effort?
Isn’t this the point of it all?
To focuse intensely on something, betting your life on it, doing it a hundred times and over again, to achieve a goal that has lost all significance?
Interrogator: Snooze.
Respondent: Sisyphos.
Then they change parts.
What does it mean to usefully spend the time that is passing right now, and right now, and even during the time it takes me to say “right now?” Is it possible to formulate any answers to this question, and if it is, will these answers not cancel out one another? In theater, as in everyday life, you will miss everything if you want it all.
The structure of what transpires on the stage reflects the coercion to choose between alternatives that permeates life: Only the keen focus of the audience as it zooms in on a selected detail can make sense of the chaos whirling between the beginning and the end. The fabric of the whole is made up of personal confessions by the actors, from which each member of the audience may “create” his or her own performance.
The piece takes its inspiration from Bill Viola’s video work Nantes Triptych.
The Symptoms
"Szabo's contemporary dance theater has yielded what are arguably the most fascinating performances on the hungarian stage today, each a different take on the theme of mingling dance, text, music, drama, and humor."
(Sisso in Nepszabadsag)
The Symptoms occur in a variety of formats: from street actions to theatre performances „of unidentifyable genre”, from free improvisations to coreographies with dance and real-time video technologies. Their performances are games with common issues: chance, dreams, identity, global warming and recycling - mixing and juxtaposing different languages from contemporary dance to pantomime, from poetry to science, all this with a symptomatic humour.
They are mainly appearing in Hungary (at places such as Mu Theatre, Szkéné, Trafo), but also in streets and festivals all over Europe.
Awards
Nylon revue
„Special Prize” - Fringe+ Festival, Hungary
2008
Alibi
“Grand Prize” - Alternative Theater Festival in Debrecen, Hungary
Buddha in sorrow
“First Prize” - the Festival of Dance, in Veszprém, Hungary
Alibi
Shavings (Forgács) Prize for the “Funniest Moment” - Deszka Festival in Debrecen, Hungary
Dániel Szász
“Best male dancer of the year” - award from the Hungarian Dance Art Association
2007
Clearing the attic
Award of the Budapest Fringe Festival
2006
From scratch
Award of the Budapest Fringe Festival
Nylon revue
"Most Original Show" - Theater Festival in Saraievo
Cold pack
“BEST Prize” - 12th Altrenative Theater Festival, in Szeged
2005
From scratch
“Best Dance Piece Prize” - 11th Alternative Theatre Festival in Szeged
From scratch
“Best Production” - Prize of the Festival of Dance in Veszprém
Sponsors: Balassi Institute, Florian Workshop, L1, NKA, OKM Association for Hungarian Alternative and Independent Theatres, szinhaz.hu, tancelet.hu
Media sponsor: FidelioEst, Funzine
For more information, please contact us!
Zsuzsa Berecz
manager
phone | +36 70 321 2991
e-mail | info@thesymptoms.hu
