Naked Stage: Art of Process: Artist on Trial

Improvisational theatre is, at its core, the art of “being here and now”. In improvisation, with each successive moment, step, word, scene, we say goodbye to the previous idea and welcome the new. Improvisational theatre is the art of process, it is both a celebration of the moment and a practice of saying goodbye. With this premise in mind, Sara Šoukal, in her first improvised solo performance, says goodbye to her fellow performers and confronts the void they leave behind. How does this emptiness enrich her, what does it give her, what does it take away, who and what does she meet when she is left alone? With the help of a musician, she descends into the unknown and poses more questions than answers. The performance opens up the creative process to the audience in a subtle way. It nurtures the performer’s vulnerability and the accessibility of theatrical improvisation, while at the same time offers a glimpse into how challenging this art form can really be.

The performance is in Slovene.

The ticket price is €7, and €12 for both performances of the evening.

Author and performer: Sara Šoukal
Music: Justin Durel
Lights: Borut Cajnko
Producer: Eva Jus
Support: Pionirski teater, IGLU, The Municipality of Ljubljana

Sara Šoukal is a performer and theatre pedagogue. She is one of the most prominent and active figures in the field of improvisational theatre in Slovenia. She is a member of the international projects Ohana, a network of European young improvisers, and Project Eve, a network of European women improvisers, through which she collaborates with some of the most influential names of the European impro scene. She combines her skills in the field of impro theatre with other artistic expressions, for example in co-directing the youth interdisciplinary performance Cypher with Žigan Krajnčan. She conceived the project Midva med nama with Luka Piletič, and has toured extensively in festivals around the world, including the Canberra International Festival with her original project Štrikanje.

Justin Durel makes and teaches theatre. He holds a degree in Playwriting from DePaul University in Chicago and a degree as an Actor-Creator from the Helikos International School of Theatre Creation. He is an award winning performer, dramatist, director, pedagogue, mask-maker and a musician and has worked in the United States, Canada, Croatia, Ireland and Slovenia for over 25 years. He has been to Antarctica once. But this performance is his first venture into improvisational theatre.