Title File type Publiseringsdato Download
Brosjyre om månedens forestilling på Black Box Teater høst 1998. pdf August 1998 Download

Persona

Persona was a theatre production by Hollow Creature.

Persona was the first part of the trilogy In Memoriam to Identity, a trilogy created in dialogue with the texts of the controversial American writer Kathy Acker.

Information

(Objekt ID 17816)
Object type Production
Premiere Navember 21, 1998
Produced by Hollow Creature
Audience Adults
Language Norwegian
Keywords Theatre, Puppetry
Running period Navember 21, 1998  —  Navember 25, 1998

Requirements to venue

Blackout Yes
More

On the webpage of Hollow Creature the following is written about Persona:

"Persona portrays a series of "I" who don't necessarily represent the personal story of single individuals, but rather float between many sexual identities. These identities are dissolved and compiled in a persona, who we call "O".

O is portrayed by five puppets. They have no clothes to indicate their character, only skin and the signs carved into its surface; scars and traces after the experiences constituting their shame or dignity - depending. All are dead objects breathing and moving as if they were alive. These objects are objects of our desire; the desire to postpone death; to reach vitality within the time we are given and within the delicate fragility of the body.

The production emphasises the object nature of the body, a separate and anarchist sexuality; the deep divide between the corporal and the mental, the head separated from the body, the emotions divided from the intellect, the uniformity of the gender in the lack of O, the other O through which the I could discover its humanity. In the attempt of constructing one's own identity O sees the original knowledge of its physical I, a knowledge beyond the language and outside of normality.

"My sexuality was ecstasy. It was my desire which, endless, was limited neither by a solely material nor by a solely mental reality.
In that city dominated by commodities, more and more unsatiated I cried.
I would kill the city of perfection. My tears were the tears of whores. I would have Mary Magdalene tear Virgin Mary's flesh into shreds. My cunt juice and piss, red, would drop out of her eyes.
I who am only gentle. I who could not even hurt my mother who hated me. I, little baby: my crying my pissing is my sexuality."
Kathy Acker

Persona was supported by Arts Council Norway, The Fund for Performing Artists, The Norwegian Composers’ Fund, the municipality of Oslo and Black Box Teater.

Source:

Hollow Creature, hollowcreature.com, 20.09.2011, http://www.hollowcreature.no/

Contributors (18)
Name Role
Kathy Acker – Text
Kirsti Ladegaard – Translation
Kristian Seltun – Translation
Zoe Christiansen – Direction
Helge Sten – Composer
Kristian Seltun – Dramaturge
Zoe Christiansen – Stage design
Sven Erga – Sound design
Jean Vincent Kerebel – Lighting design
Fredrik Hannestad – Actor
Kirsti Ladegaard – Puppeteer
Per Arne Løset – Puppeteer
Zoe Christiansen – Puppet maker
Kirsti Ladegaard – Puppet maker
Stein Jarle Nilsen – Photo
Jannicke Lie – Assistant Stage Designer
Camilla Eeg-Tverbakk – Production manager
Preben Faye-Schjøll – Consultant
Performance dates
Navember 25, 1998Store scene (Vika), Black Box teater Show
Navember 24, 1998Store scene (Vika), Black Box teater Show
Navember 23, 1998Store scene (Vika), Black Box teater Show
Navember 22, 1998Store scene (Vika), Black Box teater Show
Navember 21, 1998Store scene (Vika), Black Box teater Worldwide premiere