EXPLORER/Prometheus unchained is a new staged performance by CREW and Urland, a collective of young makers, in collaboration with Productiehuis Rotterdam and will premiere at the Krijn Boon studio, Rotterdamse Schouwburg (NL) on Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of April 2015.
In this performance CREW continues its digital explorations and links this to a reflection of Aischylos on the’usefulness and disadvantage of technology for life’and the initial promise of the internet. Urland previously made MSDOS/Prometheus Chained and will now, in collaboration with CREW, create part II of their’internet trilogy’in which technology will enable them to convert the virtual language of the internet in a new language of movement inspired by the Prometheus text of Aischylos.
Generation Before the Computer (CREW) meet generation After the Computer (Urland) and begin an Odyssey together. They wonder what has become of the utopian ideas of the early 1990s. A new (parallel) world is not only possible, it is already here. CREW and Urland want to re-enact this promise. Virtual Reality often reflects our own reality like theatre refers to our own lives. How far can we push the limits of reality? And how far can we transform the body and/or make it dissapear?
EXPLORER/Prometheus Unchained is a visual, musical en physical, mimic performance that wants to show the public a re-enactment of the initial promise of the internet and confront them with the physical absence in Virtual Reality.
EXPLORER/Prometheus unchained is the centerpiece of ‘The Internet trilogy’, a series on the rise, expansion and limitless promise of the internet. 1994. The World Wide Web. The promise of total freedom and access. The point of no return. We are ON. Unchained. We are FREE.
This performance is a joint effort of two generations, CREW/B.C. (Before Computer) and Urland/A.C. (After Computer), exploring new possibilities given by the internet. This will arguably be the first theatrical production to use 3D motion capture in real-time onstage.
The projected bodies and scenery react to the twists and turns of human interactions on stage. The live-performance is re-fleshed and transformed in the moment. With recent inertial technology the human bodies of the actors become data and this transformation expands the very idea of the psychical body to new limits.The interest in mediatized artforms and the creation of new ways of experiencing theatre is embedded in the artistic canon of CREW and continues in this challenging collaboration.
EXPLORER/Prometheus unchained allows the audience to cross the border between performance space and spectating space. It offers a RE-ENACTMENT of the initial promises of 1994 and it provides a glimpse into the future.
TUNE IN. TURN ON. BOOT UP. JACK IN. DROP OUT. EXPLORE.
Concept/cast Eric Joris, Ludwig Bindervoet, Thomas Dudkiewicz, Marijn Alexander de Jong, Jimi Zoetdramaturgy Florian Hellwig technology Koen Goossens (CREW) technical Support Siemen van der Werf, Olmo Claessens internship technology Rens Royaert productionmanager Vicky Vermoezen (CREW), Sarah Steeman (Urland) production Productiehuis Rotterdam and CREW.
In collaboration with Buda Kunstencentrum, EDM (Expertisecenter for digital media), Dreamspace (FP7 ICT collaboration), University Hasselt- iMinds and Natural Point – Optitrack.
With the support of Fonds Podiumkunsten, Fonds 21, BesteBuren and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.
