Of Togetherness: Explicit Contents

The project Trilogy of Togetherness examines community through several of its motivational reasons for its emergence, energy and socio-political states and changes:

• The contractual (pseudo) community and, consequently, its organic form built through the theatrical process/ act in several common stages, begins with a premiere in which actors and the audience, together with the authors, outline the perfect performances and thus starts the joint work of the actors and the audience and theatrical life (EXPLICIT CONTENTS – Zagreb Youth Theatre);
• A creative process that indicates the overstretched state of the community and in this connection, the necessity to initiate re-evolution. In this case, it is the play and its transposition into reality that accelerates the breakup of the community and its restoration (®EVOLUTION: MASTER CLASS – Atelje 212/ Belgrade);
• Bringing the originating energy hub of the community to the laboratory-theatrical confrontation/ dialogue by separating its basic energies – male and female – into two events that are built through a dynamic discourse of relationships toward reproduction and enjoyment (MALE/FEMALE-FEMALE/MALE – M/F-F/M -Theatre &TD (Culture of Change)/ Zagreb and International Theatre Festival MESS/ Sarajevo).

Is it possible in just a few hours of sharing the joint space and time of a theatre event, to evolve from a community of ‘courteous strangers’ into a true community of people, with all their differences, yet united in the same passion? Is it possible to sing La Vie en rose and Paint it Black together, creating a third song and a new colour?
Those and many other questions are dealt with in Explicit Contents, a theatrical journey during which everybody, performers and audience likewise, has a chance to choose their own role and place in the community, all with the same goal: to create a ‘perfect performance’. Explicit Contents is a politically correct performance (social event) that equally offends everybody and/ or leaves them indifferent. In dealing with a community, even the theatre one, the staging of an encounter with manifold consequences may even be predicted. The theatre community is the embodiment of convention; so the Shadow Casters investigate how far the audience is ready to go in fulfilling this convention and following its rules.

Author of concept: The Shadow Casters.
Directed by: Boris Bakal and Katarina Pejović.
Dramaturgs: Boris Bakal, Katarina Pejović, Stanko Juzbašić.
Authors and Performers: Boris Bakal, Lana Barić, Goran Bogdan, Lada Bonacci, Nikša Butijer, Stanko Juzbašić, Ivana Buljan Legatti, Edvin Liverić, Maro Martinović, Vili Matula, Katarina Pejović, Nadja Perišić Nola, Barbara Prpić Biffel, Urša Raukar, Vedran Živolić.
Co-production: The Shadow Casters, Zagreb Youth Theatre and the Perforacije festival.
Collaboration on the play: Stjepan Filipec, Martina Franić, Gregor Kamnikar, Doris Kristić, Svemir Vranko.
The project was financially supported by City Office of Education, Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.