The Archaeologists

In The Archaeologists by Ibsen Theatre, written and directed by Lene Therese Teigen, four Norwegian archaeologists are attending a congress in Iceland, where they are confronted with the discovery of a woman, dated to year 930 or thereabouts.

This is a grand discovery of jewels and pearls, and the most special about it is that the woman is not buried, but found dead in a pile of stones in a mountain. Each of the four archaeologists is confronted with fundamental questions related to their scientific work, and not least to life and relations to other people.

Who knows the real truth? Can different interpretations exist as parallels, like in art, or is our mutual history met with a continuous, inhuman demand for truth?

Through meetings with each other, nature and history the four are forced to take new stands in how they live and think.

Information

(Objekt ID 7896)
Object type Production
Premiere February 28, 2007
Produced by Ibsen Theatre
In collaboration with The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater)
Based on The Archaeologists by Lene Therese Teigen
Audience Adults, Youth
Audience size 480
Language Norwegian
Keywords Theatre
Running period February 28, 2007  
Website Teater Ibsen

Requirements to venue

Blackout No
More

In the production The Archaeologists a real archaeological discovery is presented. The mountain wife was found in Iceland in July 2004. Archaeologists and other scientists still work to find answers, but a lot is yet uncertain.

The discovery is the largest individual discovery of jewels and pearls ever made in Iceland. In real life many different voices pose questions too: Who was this woman? In The Archaeologists factual information about the discovery is presented to the audience.

With The Archaeologists Ibsen Theatre attempts to challenge the idea that our history is truth. The production is about the archaeological practice, knowledge about The Viking Age, and the fundamental human wish to find truth.

The Archaeologists visited The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater) in March 2009.

Source:

The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater), detapneteater.no, 28.10.2010, http://www.detapneteater.no/pub/daat/forestillinger/?aid=272&cid=17&sac=all&viewall=1#daat

Contributors (18)
Name Role
Lene Therese Teigen – Playwright
Lene Therese Teigen – Direction
Leif Winther – Music
Halldis Hoaas – Dramaturge
Tormod Lindgren – Visual design (grafisk design)
Tormod Lindgren – Stage design
Christina Lindgren – Costume design
Tormod Lindgren – Video/Film (videoprojeksjoner)
Leif Winther – Sound design
Erik Spets Sandvik – Lighting design
Kjersti Høgli – Actor
Frank Lie – Actor
Sylvia Salvesen – Actor
Jan Ø. Wiig – Actor
Leif Winther – Actor
Julie Clark – Mask design
Silje Steinsvik – Props
Tormod Lindgren – Photo
Performance dates
March 16, 2007Hallen, The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater) Show
March 15, 2007Hallen, The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater) Show
February 28, 2007Store scene, Festiviteten i Skien, Ibsen Theatre Worldwide premiere