Theatre Poton exists already ten years. It intentionally
works out of the capital city, but in
the geographical middle of the country. Among
its priorities is working on their own texts but they
work also with classical texts in nontraditional interpretations.
Theatre Poton has a team of creators
who are the core of the theatre: director
Iveta Jurčová and dramaturg and writer Michal
Ditte. Their work focuses on presenting contemporary
texts in modern staging. They use poetry
and metaphores connected with humour, exaggeration,
even grotesque and caricature.
Theatre Poton is independent professional
theatre company producing theatre performances
and working on educational projects
about arts. Since its founding in 2000 they have
produced 11 theatre performances, realised
7 long term international educational projects and worked with 61 artists from Slovak Republic and abroad.
Except working on own performances Theatre
Poton offers progressive forms of education
for audience and professional creators. They
try to bring arts and theatre closer to students
and to young people, using attractive and interactive
form. Poton also prepares projects for
theatre professionals in the form of workshops
(movement, physical theatre, voice, writing). Intensive
work in education led into founding of Centre for Arts and Creativity, which became part of Theatre Poton in 2008.
Terra Granus means „land near the river
Hron“. This region is in the heart of Slovakia. Small
villages and bigger cities surrounded by mountains
used to be known as the centre of mining
and crafts. Today this region serves tourism with
its beautiful nature and rich history.
Terra Granus is written by dramaturg of Theatre
Poton Michal Ditte. The text was based on
antrophological research in the region around
river Hron. From the research were abstracted
several topics which were then processed by
actors in workshop. The performance is made
of six separate stories. All of them connects one
main theme, which is „searching for home“.
It is not documentary theatre. Situations are
hyperbolised, reality changes for imagination
and absurity. The text is not only about past and
history of that particular Slovak region. It reffers
to the present as well, and it goes much further than
the middle of Slovakia.
Shake ShakespeaRe_Macbeth is variation to
the famous Shakespeare’s text. It goes against
one of the rules of Elisabethian theatre, where
all the roles had been played by male actors.
This story is performed by three ladies, actresses.
Not the story is important, it is the form – it’s like a
game.
The drama remains, but in a form of cabaret.
Three actresses play live music, sing, change
roles using simple props and costume accesories.
They play with the form of performance, using
various styles of acting – emotional and realistic,
civil acting with improvization, using the
principles of theatre in theatre.
YEVGENY GRISHKOVEC: RIGHT NOW!
Translation and adaptation: Tomáš Paliňák
Video: Lukáš Kodoň
Music: Palgii
Production: Michal Somoš
Concept and direction: Pavel Graus
Performed by Peter Oszlík
Right now! is based on the text of Yevgeny
Grishkovec OdnovrEmEnno. It seems like a monodrama,
but in fact it’s just a bad presentation in
PowerPoint. It’s like from real life. Young man in
descent suit wants to present his views on life. His
talking about his dreams and wishes is illustrated
by mixed photos of people, animals and things.
The performance is not trying to show sophisticated
artistic concept. The main character
doesn’t appear like an actor. The idea is to cross
the boarders between theatre and real life. His
behaviour is civil, matter-of-fact, confident, naive,
unsure. Actor’s natural character and truthfulness
are the strongest elements of the performance,
which keeps the spectators’ attention
up during the whole, more than one hour long
talk.
CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
Since 2002 Theatre Poton works on educational
projects. It belongs to nonprofit organizations which
offer space for education, exchange of skills, new experience
and knowledge.
Centre for Arts and Creativity is long term project
of Theatre Poton. It completes their efforts to find a suitable
space not only for performing, but also for other
activities dedicated mainly to specialists working in
arts. Centre should provide conditions for systematic
educational and creative activities for professionals
and students. In the program of Centre for Arts and
Creativity are workshops and studios for artists, residential
stays and guest performances.
In 2008 Theatre Poton rented a culture house. Two
storied building with one stage and several little spaces
is planned to be changed into international culture
and educational centre - Centre for Arts and Creativity.
There will be a multifunctional blackbox, two small
stages, dressing rooms, storage area, offices, lobby
foyer with a bar and a balcony. On the new third
floor there will be accommodation facilities (around
40 beds).
Sense and Passion
Visual-dramatic concept Sense and Passion - „art
of the 20th century in a box“ was made on a request
of teachers of academic subjects at high schools. The
first part of the project incorporates visual art, literature
and music of well-known artists from the last century.
Next parts should be focused on Slovak creators and
contemporary art.
Spectators are accompanied by two gracious,
playful and snobbish Muses. They introduce them particular
kinds of art, using attractive form and modern
language, close to young people. In addition to drama
they work with video, samples of music and soft
art. This connection of visual art, music, literature and
architecture gives the audience more complex idea
about arts in general.
Impulse
Impulse is international educational project. It is a
series of artistic workshops and studios led by prestigious
European artists. Its concept is meant for professional
actors and students of acting, but also dancers,
performers or singers from Slovakia, Czech Republic,
Poland and Hungary. Workshops take place in Centre
for Arts and Creativity mostly during summer and they last
from four to seven days. The most popular workshops are focused on excercises, improvization, emotion,
processing the text by movements with movement
and voice, choreography.
In 2009 Theatre Poton is realising four days long
workshop called Song of My Soul with Czech singer Ida
Kelarová. Workshop concentrates on emotional opening
of the voice. Each song is the singer’s confession.
Kelarová leads the participants to communicate openly
among themselves, which helps them to be open to
the audience, too. She looks for autenticity and clear
emotions. Workshop will take place during 26th - 29th
of May 2009. It’s aimed at actors, singers and people
interested in Kelarová’s teaching methods.
Scenographer Tomáš Žižka will lead a workshop
Conflicts of Place, which will take place between 31st
of August and 9th of September. It is aimed at scenographers
and set designers, artists and students of art
schools. The task for participants will be to design an
artistic concept of specific spaces and rooms in the
new building of Centre for Arts and Creativity (club,
meeting point, gallery, canteen), which should connect
people inside with those coming from outside. It is
a place of meetings – heart of the place. Final stage of
the workshop will be realisation of the designed plan.
Help for Primary Schools of Arts
This activity is meant for teachers of drama classes
at primary schools of arts and their students. They will
be invited for two weekend meetings in Centre for Arts
and Creativity (one group in May and one in November).
Theatre Poton will create suitable conditions for
them to work intensively on the issues connected with
teaching drama and theatre to children. The lecturers
at the meetings will be creators from Theatre Poton, director
Iveta Jurčová and dramaturg Michal Ditte, both
with rich experience in this field, who will offer methodological
help to teachers of drama classes, usually
lacking professional education.
Five Times Theatre
Five meetings of high school students with lecturers/members of Theatre Poton. During the seminars
in Centre for Arts and Creativity they will discuss different
aspects of theatre art – work with text, staging
of text and work of director, acting, critical reflection,
organization and managing of theatre. Aim of this programme
is to educate young theatre audience, motivate
their interest in theatre itself and encourage them
to go to theatre regularly.
CONTACT
Theatre Poton, NGO
Bátovce 358
935 03 Bátovce
Slovakia
+421 36 6308300, +421 36 6308302
divadlo@poton.sk
www.poton.sk
Mgr. Michal Somoš, manager
somos@poton.sk
Mgr. Veronika Mezeiová, producer
mezeiova@poton.sk
Mgr. Dária Fehérová, PR manager
feherova@poton.sk
Mgr. art. Iveta Jurčová, director
jurcova@poton.sk
Mgr. art. Michal Ditte, dramaturg
ditte@poton.sk
PROFILES
Iveta Jurčová
Director, Artistic Director of Theatre Poton and author of educational programs. She studied directing at University of Performing Arts. As a lecturer, she was leading dramatical workshops for the international festival Divadelná Nitra, National Culture Centre (NCC), Theatre Poton and the cultural center Stanica Žilina - Záriečie. Since 2002 she has been working as a methodology specialist for theatre at NCC and since 2008 she has been teaching dramatic production at The Private Conservatory in Nitra. Beside Theatre Poton she directed at The City Theatre Zlín, The City Theatre Bratislava, The Puppet Theatre Žilina and The Puppet Theatre na Rázscestí (On the Crossroads) in Banská Bystrica.
The characteristic sign of her directing is a balance between realism and expressionism. She sees the world as a grotesque reality. She brings surprise to the situation that might seem ordinary at first sight and also hyperbole, which changes the perception to a different level. Her performances do not search for the general truth, they show herself, her experience and opinions.
Michal Ditte
Michal Ditte is a dramatist and dramaturg, he studied dramaturgy at University of Performing Arts. His literary production is based on classical literature but he focuses also on current themes - group isolation, community life, media influence on the everyday life and problems of interpersonal communication. These themes might seem ordinary but they are cumulated in his dramatical plays where the reality changes with imaginary world. They are similar to magic realism arts. A strong woman personality is very often the dominant character of his plays. His plays were awarded at several dramatic festivals and performed at number of theatres.
