Sister Cities News
Live Transatlantic Project
A special premiere was celebrated at the end of September. As part of Magdeburg’s 1200 year anniversary celebration, the joint multimedia project “das treffen – the other side” had its premiere in the theater magdeburg and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville. Patrons were Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Wolfgang Böhmer. This was the first time people on two continents were able to simultaneously watch five performances together and see each other by satellite.
das treffen – the other side
written by Thomas Oberender and Sebastian Orlac
Transatlantic simulcast project of the theater magdeburg.
In co-operation with the Tennessee Repertory Theatre Nashville.
World Premiere:
- Friday, September 30, 2005
- 0:00 a. m. local time, schauspielhaus magdeburg
- 5:00 p. m. local time, Tennessee Repertory Theatre Nashville/TPAC
In 2005 the city of Magdeburg, capital of the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, is celebrating its 1200th birthday. theater magdeburg, the city theatre of Magdeburg, is planning to actively participate in the festivities by designing and producing a unique multimedia arts and performance project under the title das treffen – the other side. Partner of theater magdeburg in that special theatre venture will be the Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville. Nashville, capital of Tennessee, is linked to Magdeburg by a vivid sister city partnership.
Two renowned authors, Thomas Oberender and Sebastian Orlac, created a specially commissioned script placing the audience as the actual protagonists at the centre of the performance. The experienced team of theatre director Markus Dietz and video artist Oliver Iserloh will stage the performance with five actors/actresses of theater magdeburg and five actors/actresses from Nashville. The show will be presented in Magdeburg and Nashville simultaneously.
At both venues – theater magdeburg and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre – the spectators will face a wide video screen. They will take part in the same performance, the same plot being performed on both sides: The actors enter and take their seats among the audience. While video cameras on both sides focus on individual spectators and transmit their images onto the screen and into the performance on “the other side”, the actors, having become part of the audience, will tell individual stories, thus linking the people presented live onscreen to the narrative.
The stories are based on real life anecdotes and day-to-day experiences and express desires and disappointments, as well as moments of great happiness or tragedies of love.
The evening floats between the authenticity of the live situation and the fictiousness of the narrative. Not unlike a musical composition, text and visual images oscillate between points of closest intimacy and widest distance. – A meeting of people on both continents, a meeting with one’s own self seen through the mirror of the vis-à-vis, a bridge to the “the other side”…
The show will be presented five times altogether. All performances will take place simultaneously in Magdeburg and Nashville and be transmitted live to the respective sister city (the time difference between Nashville and Magdeburg being 7 hours).
The performances will also mark the opening festivities of the refurbished schauspielhaus magdeburg.
Facts:
- Script: Thomas Oberender/Sebastian Orlac
- Director: Markus Dietz
- Video Artist: Oliver Iserloh
- Project Manager: Gunda Mapache
Shows:
- Saturday, October 1, 3:00 a.m. (Magdeburg)
- September 30, 8:00 p.m. (Nashville)
- Saturday, October 1, 8:00 p.m. (Magdeburg)
- Saturday, October 1, 1:00 p.m. (Nashville)
- Saturday, October 1, 0:00 a.m. (Magdeburg)
- Saturday, October 1, 5:00 p.m. (Nashville)
- Sunday, October 2, 3:00 a.m. (Magdeburg)
- Saturday, October 1, 8:00 p.m. (Nashville)
Supported by
the Foundation for Arts and Culture of the Stadtsparkasse Magdeburg, Staedtische Werke Magdeburg, Stadtsparkasse Magdeburg, Verbundnetz Gas AG, Amerikanisches Generalkonsulat in Leipzig, Offener Kanal Magdeburg and German-American Dialog Centre Magdeburg e.V.
A Highlight project of the city of Magdeburg’s “12hundred” festive season.
Funded by „Büro 12hundert“ and the Federal Government of Saxony Anhalt.
Media partner: Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal
Published:
September 30, 2005
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