Einstein’s dream
,2021
Time and space in contemporary theatre - What are possible scenarios of theatre development and a new form of theatre after the pandemic?
#StudioScenography #Master-Thesis
We are living in the time of a pandemic, such as we have not known before. Theatres are closed and the possibilities of theatre makers to perform new works are very limited. In this time of formative social distance Valeria Ballek makes a contribution to the development of theatre experiences for use in practice. With her draft for an audio/video walk, she shows the individual relationships to time, place and travel. In a time when it is not possible to travel, her draft brings cultures and people of different countries closer together - an aspiration that becomes more significant with each passing day of distance.
«Einstein's Dreams» by Alan Lightman is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905. At night he sees amazing, inexplicable dreams. He often sees the streets of a Swiss city, but always in a different way, in a different reality and in a different time. Valeria Ballek's design for an audio/video walk takes place simultaneously in two cities: Zurich and Saint Petersburg. Her idea is to bring different «worlds» together and overlap two cultures. Each of the two performances is a staged walk that includes projections, set-up installations and direct participation of the audience and performers in Zurich and Saint Petersburg at the same time. It aims to make visible how time passes in two cities at the same time and how time and place might connect these two worlds.
About Valeria
Valeria is from St. Petersburg but moved to London to study Performance Design and Practice in Central Saint Martins. After that, she worked at the St. Petersburg Music Hall Theater as a set and costume design assistant.
Final Thought:
The Masterstudio gave me the opportunity to discover different modules while further specialising in my field.
Mentors:
Ruth Scheel, Heike Dürscheid, Martina Ehleiter
, Studio Scenography & Exhibition Design