The Arrival

The Arrival (1999) by Jo Strømgren Kompani: Three paralyzed parachutists descend into a desert landscape. Suffering from amnesia and urban confusion they try to create a logic in their new situation.

How did they get there? And why? And what about that Biblical bush appearing? The quest for a purpose gets even more complicated with the arrival of a woman. And later presumably a local Arab.

The Arrival was in 2001 restaged and co-produced by in Älvsborgsteaterns Dansekompani in Uddevalla with extensive touring in Sweden.

There are no plans for further performances.

Information

(Objekt ID 2069)
Object type Production
Premiere Navember 2, 1999
Produced by Jo Strømgren Kompani, Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)
Coproducers Alvsborgsteatern
Audience Adults
Language Gibberish
Keywords Dance, Contemporary dance, Theatre, Dance theatre
Running period Navember 2, 1999  
Duration 60 minutes
Website Jo Strømgren Kompani

Requirements to venue

Minimum stage width 9m
Minimum stage depth 12m
Blackout Yes
Rigging time 420 minutes
More

In The Arrival by Jo Strømgren Kompani the desert was a complete nothingness where life in itself was absurd. A place for existential questions, a place for dissolution and damnation, and a place for observations upon civilisation. A classic metaphor in many art forms, so to speak.

The Arrival played with these metaphors, and also with the time period where the metaphor was particularly strong. The existentialists of the 1950es were both cool and hopelessly blindfolded in any attempt to give chaos a humanistic face.

The show did not enter into existential depth, but circled around contemporary confusion regardless of time or period. Cartoon-like logic and a visual density proved to take the company to yet another level of associative communication.

Touring: Norway, Sweden, Lithuania.

Supported by: the Arts Council Norway and the municipality of Bergen.

Source:

Jo Strømgren Kompani, jskompani.no, 08.08.2010, http://jskompani.no/productions/4

Contributors (13)
Name Role
Jo Strømgren – Choreography
Jørgen Knudsen – Music
Stephan Østensen – Stage design
Ingvild Hovind – Costume design
Kristine Rødland Barlow – Costume design
Lars Årdal – Sound design
Stephen Rolfe – Lighting design
Aude Frientz – Dancer
Niklas Gundersen – Dancer
Erik Rulin – Dancer
Jo Strømgren – Dancer
Kyrre Texnæs – Dancer
Knut Bry – Photo
Performance dates
October 22, 2000Hovedscenen (The Main Stage), Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) New opening
April 16, 2000BIT Teatergarasjen Show
April 15, 2000BIT Teatergarasjen Show
April 14, 2000BIT Teatergarasjen Show
April 13, 2000BIT Teatergarasjen Show
April 12, 2000BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 7, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 6, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 5, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 4, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 3, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Show
Navember 2, 1999BIT Teatergarasjen Worldwide premiere
Press coverage

Writer and date unknown, Dagbladet [Oslo, Norway]:
"It is full of fantastic fantasy, fascinating dynamics, rich in associations and originality."

Writer and date unknown, Adresseavisen [Trondheim, Norway]:
"The performance contains both the absurd and the bizarre, the sincere and the lyrical – one laughs, gets provoked and touched."