Play by Pat To Yan
Translated from the English by Ulrike Syha
PREMIERE 19 JANUARY 2024 / Theater Gießen
Director & Stage Thomas Krupa
Stage & Costumes Monika Gora
Music Lyhre
Video Marcin Przybilla
Lighting design Jan Moritz-Bregenzer
Dramaturgy Tim Kahn
Choreography Mel Brinkmann
With
Ben Janssen, Zelal Kapçık, Levent Kelleli, Anne-Elise Minetti, Nils Eric Müller, Pascal Thomas, Lyhre
The word for world is forest.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Eleven-year-old Earnest was born with the ability to control the weather. Together with his father Mono, he lives in the smart city Neometropolis, which is completely controlled by a tech company. When his cat disappears, Earnest runs into the forest surrounding the city to look for it. His father is frightened – partly because the plants in his house start to give him clues via noises. When Mono meets a mysterious girl who threatens to kill him, he also decides to go into the forest. The girl wants to occupy Neometropolis in order to restore the entire ecosystem that has been destroyed by humans and their technology. In ‘Neometropolis’, Chinese author Pat To Yan addresses the coexistence of human and non-human beings and questions the dominance of humans on Earth. On a metaphorical and allegorical journey, the forest itself becomes the protagonist whose perspective we entrust ourselves to. Are we able to understand the language of animals and plants? And what can we learn from them about the sustainability of our planet?
Fotos by Rolf K. Wegst