‘Catastrophe’ to tell story of man’s dehumanization
CALIFORNIA – California University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Catastrophe” by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett and the premiere of “Sankofa” at 8 p.m. today and Saturday in Steele Auditorium. “Catastrophe,” directed by Ryan Gialames, is one of Beckett’s later plays. Written in 1982, this short work was dedicated to Vaclav Havel.
Typically avoiding political themes, Beckett used “Catastrophe” as a vehicle through which to demonstrate the dehumanization of man. A performance is prepared by a director and his assistant.
This preparation involves the molding, posing and exposing of the protagonist.
Through this preparation, the protagonist is humiliated and victimized.
His free will is taken away. Though he speaks not a word, by the end of the piece, it is evident that man prevails.
Gialames, prompted by recent national events, uses “Catastrophe” as a vehicle through which to demonstrate the influence of media on human experience. The group is offered two perspectives of the protagonist’s plight.
Through the use of video installation, Gialames not only further reduces the protagonist to an object, but forces the audience to question what they see.
“Sankofa” is a multimedia dance project conceived, choreographed and performed by Maria Gismondi. “Sankofa” reflects on the necessity of learning from the past when building for the future. The sankofa symbol is derived from an ancient West African language and literally means, “Go back and fetch it.”
Created in collaboration with videographer Ryan Gialames and set against a backdrop of innovative visuals and pulsating rhythms, this introspective and dynamic new work considers the impossibility of moving ahead without first re-examining and learning from where one has already been. A fusion of ballet technique and modern dance, “Sankofa” is a revealing solo that marks veteran dancer Gismondi’s debut as both choreographer and performer of a conceptual piece.
Following the performance, a reception will be held for the production team in the Art Gallery in Eberly Science and Technology Center, which is located on the first floor. For tickets and more information,, contact the box office at 724-938-5943.
or log on to www.gialames.com.