| Makers | ROTOR |
| Duration | 50 min |
| Part of | Language no problem |
| Program lines |
Experimental AdventuresYou know you are witnessing something new, but what is it? For everyone who likes unexpected surprises.
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The boulder always rolls back: physical theater about the timeless struggle of Sisyphus
After Erosion, the breakthrough performance that earned ROTOR the BNG Bank Theater Prize 2022, the collective returns with ROTOR #3 – Sisyphus Machine. Sisyphus perpetually pushes the massive boulder up the hill, only for it to roll back down again and again.
The myth of Sisyphus talks about the futility of working to no avail. For ROTOR #3 – Sisyphus Machine, the creators of ROTOR reimagine this timeless struggle in a physical mime that celebrates the power of movement in this unique portrayal of the titular protagonist, Sisyphus.
The starting point for ROTOR was a lecture given by the French writer and thinker Albert Camus about the myth of Sisyphus. Camus's ideas about the absurdity of human existence and the need to find meaning in our lives are at the heart of ROTOR #3 – Sisyphus Machine. In this minimalist performance, ROTOR brings to life the emotional and physical challenges Sisyphus faces in his quest for freedom all the way up to his cursed fate.
As a spectator you are taken into Sisyphus’s search for meaning and purpose. ROTOR #3 – Sisyphus Machine is a celebration of the human spirit and explores the timeless themes of fate, willpower and the constant search for freedom, as described in Camus' lecture.
Creative performers Hidde Aans-Verkade and Koen van der Heijden form the main core of ROTOR. Aans-Verkade and Van der Heijden both studied mime at the Academy of Theater and Dance (ATD) in Amsterdam, where they found a unique pact and motivation as performers.
The world of ROTOR revolves around the repetition of physical actions. The question 'What sets ROTOR in motion?' is always at the heart of the work. This question refers – on one hand – to the driving mechanism, the starting point of a movement, leading to the possibility of deepening and change: what ROTOR can do to substantially move the audience. Recurring elements are: the body as a starting point, pushing the exhaustion of the performer(s), the audience's physical empathy, the introspective deepening and seeking variations on repetition, and practicing meaning.
| Concept and performers | Koen van der Heijden, Hidde Aans-Verkade |
| Production | Rick Busscher |
| Scenography | Django Walon |
| Composer and musician | Krijn Moons |
| Performance direction | Niels Kuiters |
| Artistic advisor | Francesca Lazzeri |
| Technical management | Mathisse Coornaert |
| Costume design | Kevin Pieterse |
| Technical producer | Jurr van Diggele |
| Campaign image/paintings | Daniela Schwabe |
| Graphic design | Sjors Bazelier |
| Set creation | Merijn Versnel |
| Marketing and communications | Pien Visser |
| Stagehands | Tim van Dongen en Rita Bilfuco |
| Thanks to | Loes van der Pligt, Rigging Amsterdam, Fonds21, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfond & BNG Bank Theaterprijs |
| ROTOR #3 is a production by | Veem House for Performance en Schweigman& in co-productie met Over Het IJ Festival |
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