Most of the time, the ghosts are hidden, but on this special occasion they appear. Spirits are beings from in-between space, nourished by memories, full of curiosity. Ghosts are colorful. Are you as curious as they are? Do you want to meet them? Or do you prefer to observe them from a distance? We invite spectators of all ages to meet the ghosts during one November afternoon. The performance questions the idea of haunted ghosts and presents their different, alternative form. Ghosts are remnants and echoes of feelings, loved ones, and unfulfilled desires, we embrace and welcome them among us.
Directed by Levin Eichert
Co-authored and performed by Ana Nežmah, Jhonn Álvarez Esparza, Lottie Wood, Sai
We (Levin Eichert, Ana Nežmah, Jhonn Álvarez Esparza, Sai and I) recently had the pleasure of developing a new performance with Studio ALTA exploring ghosts as liminal beings which exist at the intersection of past and present. Ghosts are also unbridled by the physical and psychological constraints of the human world and as such create space for radical dreams of the future. The performance itself is joyful and inquisitive, oftentimes silly and ocassionally sombre. The costumes, beautifully crafted by Levin Eichert, played on the classic ghost silhouette but the reclaimed fabric and deconstructed garments which remained evident in the costumes cleverly evoked memory, nostalgia and melencholy.
We performed first at the Dušičky celebrations of Studio ALTA on the 8th of November. The ALTA garden created a beautiful site-specific scenography for the other-worldly ghosts. The event was a family affair and the opportunity to interact with the children only heightened the joyful playfulness of the performance. One moment that sticks with me in particular, is at a moment when the ghosts begin to cry, a young girl ran to embrace the ghost shouting ‘please don’t cry, we like you, you’re doing a good job!’. Perhaps the world can learn a thing or two from the compassion, empathy and unashamed love of children.
Thank you to the Studio ALTA curatorial and technical teams for your support throughout the residency and performance time.
On the 18th of November we subsequently presented GGGHHHHOOOOOSSSSTTT at the Unvollendet work-in-progress evening at Goethe-Institut Česko. It may seem antithetical to present a work-in-progress showing after the ‘premier’ however this work is an ongoing research practice that is very much still in evolution. We appreciated the opportunity to present the work indoors for the first time, which allowed us to explore further the dramaturgical nuances of the work which is often difficult to test in an unpredictable site-specific environment. We recieved some valuable insights and positive encouragement from the attendees which we will take forward into the next phase of our devising process. We hope to continue this exploration during some residencies in the new year. We are also fielding co-production possibilities at this time.
Thank you to the Goethe-Institut team for this opportunity and to all attendees for their generous feedback.
GGGHHHHOOOOOSSSSTTT will be back soon so watch this space!
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