What is postdramatic theatre? If theatre is just another way of exploring the world, society and human nature, how far can a director go in their experimentation with form? Theatre is not just the interpretation of text. Theatre is the search for a new performance language, the attempt to cross existing borders and art traditions. The production “A Situational Comedy” is this type of an experiment, which combines different theatre schools, experiences, and ideas.

Director Vsevolod Lisovskiy: “In traditional society, power was determined by the amount of luxurious carpets, fine bathtubs, fur skins, colourful stones and cold weapons one had. In today’s world, the instrument of power is information. Whoever knows more is in charge. Traditional theatre is an example of the archaic power pyramid – the spectators are on the bottom step because they know the least of all those involved. This performance is an attempt to overcome this centuries-long injustice. Our spectator knows more than the actresses. The performance is titled “A Situational Comedy” because in this genre the comedic effect is achieved by the audience having knowledge of the circumstances that the characters do not. Over the span of a week, the two actresses pay attention to what they experience, both internally and externally. Afterwards, on stage, they attempt to silently share their experiences with each other, while the spectator sees not only the silent dialogue, but can also reads the notes written by the actresses projected on the wall.”

The idea to create this performance in Riga was born after Vsevolod Lisovskiy and actress Alyona Starostina visited Theatre Ģertrūdes ielas teātris in April of 2019 with their performance “The Silence on a Given Theme”. The visiting production was received with strong and conflicting opinions, causing discussions and conversations long after the performance. “A Situational Comedy” is a new experiment of form, though created on the basis of “The Silence on a Given Theme”. This time two artists, different in both their artistic expression and life experiences – actress, director Ināra Slucka and dancer, choreographer Jana Jacuka – will be silent not only for the audience but for each other as well.