Recognition

The Psychology of Evil

Recognition – The Psychology of Evil by Grenland Friteater was a solo play with Kjersti Posti Høgli playing four different parts. The production was inspired by the novel The Exception by Christian Jungersen.

A lecture about human evil turns into private confessions and a magic/realistic world opens. Facts and humour mix and end in an absurd TV show. Sliding transitions between research, dream and reality, socio-political experiments and nightmares adapted for the movies.

Information

(Objekt ID 832)
Object type Production
Premiere March 27, 2008
Produced by Grenland Friteater, Porsgrunn International Theatre Festival
Based on Unntaket by Christian Jungersen
Audience Youth, Adults (from 16)
Audience size 13783
Number of events 148
Language Norwegian and English
Keywords Theatre, Lecture, Movie, Performance, Lecture, Solo
Running period March 27, 2008  
Website Grenland Friteater

Requirements to venue

Minimum stage width 9m
Minimum stage depth 8m
Minimum stage height 4m
Blackout Yes
Rigging time 240 minutes
Downrigging time 60 minutes
Audience 100
More

Recognition – The Psychology of Evil by Grenland Friteater placed the language of power and its different aspects on the agenda, ranging from an intimate situation between few persons to the more global examples leading to one group of people exterminating another.

The audience met Hilde Høyer, an expert on genocide. She is an idealist working for the fictional institute IFMO (Institute for Research on Human Evil) at the non-fictional University of Oslo. Here she experiences being harassed and opposed by a colleague. A small work place with resourceful people develops into a nightmare.

When visiting schools, Grenlad Friteater could figure fooling the pupils into thinking they were going to an actual lecture about human evil. Eventually they would understand that it was staged, but the experience could be a useful wake up call for them.

Recognition – The Psychology of Evil by Grenland Friteater won the Daphne award during the Assitej Festival in Kristiansand in 2008.

Source: Grenland Friteater, grenlandfriteater.com, 18.08.2010, http://www.grenlandfriteater.com/show_details.asp?ID=972

Contributors (13)
Name Role
Anne-Sophie Erichsen – Playwright
Kjersti Høgli – Playwright
Anne-Sophie Erichsen – Direction
Silje Steinsvik – Stage design
Jørn Steen – Video/Film
Geir Bremer Øvrebø – Sound design
Jean Vincent Kerebel – Lighting design
Kjersti Høgli – Actor
Jørn Steen – Photo
Hans Petter Henriksen – Technician
Agnar Ribe – Technician
Jonas Borgan Olsen (from 2009 to 2011) – Producer
Tore Wiig – Consultant
Performance dates
Navember 12, 2012Småscenen, now Teaterkjelleren, The National Stage Show
October 4, 2012Friteatret, Grenland Friteater Show
June 17, 2008Friteatret, Grenland Friteater Show
June 16, 2008Friteatret, Grenland Friteater Show
March 27, 2008 Worldwide premiere
Festivals (1)
scenic art expo norway Navember 12, 2012
Press coverage

M. Schulstok (28.03.2008), Review titled Awfully recognisable, Varden.no, 18.08.2010, http://www.varden.no/article/20080328/KULTUR/304843300:
"Successful, cruel, humorous and incredibly important () Anne-Sophie Erichsen and Kjersti Posti Høgli has created a very efficient story about evil lying latent in all of us." 

Elisabeth Rygg (31.03.08), Review titled Harassment drama with nerve, Aftenposten.no, 18.08.2010, http://oslopuls.no/kunst/article2337887.ece:
"It has become thought-provoking theatre, managing to make global evil recognisable." 

Anette Therese Pettersen (18.06.2008), Review titled From Auschwitz to Yssen, Dagsavisen.no, 18.08.2010, http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article355275.ece:
"Recognition is not just performed in a skilled way, it is something as rare as a punch in the gut without the moralism attached. A request for recognising the moral failures of one’s own and a tool to avoid it to a larger degree."