"La Strada" 2014

"the village"

theater t´eig (at)

  The person who moves from the country to the city likes to take along his village; because the village is trendy again - as long as it is in the city. Regardless of whether he is in New York or St. Pölten, the new city dweller creates his own neighbourhood, his personal microcosm. In a co-production in collaboration with La Strada, the independent Theater t´eig Graz theatre takes its audience on a journey from the country to the city, relocating a part of the village of Weißenbach bei Haus to the city of Graz on the river Mur, and staging the urban concept of village life as a play. The audience can be both in the country and in the city, moving freely in the respective place. And all of them will experience a world premiere, which has definitely little to do with conventional theatre.

"igor hagard"

pierre sauvageot & lieux publics (fr)

  What does a railway symphony sound like? When Pierre Sauvageot attends to it, it sounds a bit like Stravinsky´s "The Rite of Spring", a bit like Graz main railway station and a bit more than an oeuvre by the French artist, whom the La Strada audience already came to love two years ago, when he directed the wind on the Schöckl mountain. For his 31-minute-long symphony, he has intertwined the sound of this place of departure with Stravinsky´s music, restaging this piece, which is a symbolic representation of the Industrial Age. What is preserved are the musical score and dynamics, but what is added are the sounds that those perceive who enjoy a moment of ease on a platform: squeaking brakes, loudspeaker announcements and the hubbub of passengers. A sacrilege? "Stravinsky would forgive us and recognise the tribute we pay to him," says Sauvageot.

"tape riot"

asphalt piloten (ch)

  "We are interested in the texture of a bus stop, the smell of a park bench and the fugitiveness of a street corner". This is how Asphalt Piloten describe their approach to the city, to public space, in which they appear suddenly and unexpectedly, only to disappear just as fast again. During their performance "Tape Riot" in Graz, Anna Anderegg and her team of Swiss artists will draw lines and perspectives on familiar streets and squares with black adhesive tape, creating new spaces, changing them in a playful and dance-like manner, mixing unfamiliar and well-known sounds and noises, and asking passers-by the question whether all of this is real and, first and foremost, normal. And whether, as a result of the performance, their view of things has been altered, suggesting that everything is a matter of opinion. And they will have disappeared again, before the first spectator has come up with an answer.

"la verità"

compagnia finzi pasca (ca/ch)

  When the curtain rises for the La Strada premiere 2014 at Graz Opera House, it will reveal yet another, very special curtain: a long lost original by Salvador Dalí, which he painted in New York in the 1940s, and which was left to Daniele Finzi Pasca for his production "La Verità". But this work of art is not the only treasure bestowed on those viewing. With "La Verità" the company aims to delve further into the technique of invisible gesture and the state of lightness pursued by the "Teatro della Carezza" (Theatre of the Caress) - and it succeeds in doing so with an opulent combination of beautiful stage design, modern acrobatics and contemporary dance. An intoxicating feast for all the senses, brimming with images that will long continue to resonate, even after the curtain has once again descended, concealing Dalí´s work of art.

  Austrian premiere!

"friktion lend - blaue zone"

int. tanzkollektiv der ig tanz (at)

  The courting Australian satin bowerbird enjoys staking out its territory in blue - and how we are supposed to imagine this is revealed by the story in pictures and movement "Friktion Lend - Blaue Zone", rich in associations and performed by the dancers of the dance collective IG Tanz at the playground in Volksgarten park. An enticing, sensual and seductive performance that creates a colourful scenario of cultures and open spaces, overcoming barriers. A contemporary engagement that makes spectators beam with joy, adding a new colour to the Styrian summer.

"rien à dire"

leandre (es)

  The role of a clown is to create a hole that allows us to see humankind from a different perspective. Spanish street artiste Leandre is a grand master at creating these holes, through which, during his 16 years on Europe´s streets and stages, countless curious eyes have already looked. This summer, he will open up these fascinating holes with his two performances "Rien à dire" and "No se" in Graz, Weiz and Stainz; with his touching, poetic and unexpected performances, he will not only make the audience laugh. If you decide to get involved with Leandre, you can be fed, embraced, and sometimes kissed by him - more or less tenderly. But, first and foremost, you will laugh, looking through this infinitely exciting hole, on the other side of which mankind is to be found.

"rumpelstilzchen"

theater auf der zitadelle (de)

  Aren´t there malicious little men, good princesses, greedy cooks, clever mice, silly millers and beautiful daughters - fortunately! Because in this "Rumpelstilzchen" co-production by Anna Fregin, in collaboration with Theater auf der Zitadelle and La Strada, each of these characters is brought alive thanks to a very special puppet. And, in this way, the old new story is revived again, which presumably, possibly, really took place many years ago. Story time for parents who are so well-behaved that their children take them along.

"anton, luka and benjamin"

theatre fragile (de/fr)

  When small boxes turn into wild animals, into colliding racing cars and, finally, into castles made of stone and steel, one can safely assume one has entered the world of games. But who decides what is to be played when and with whom? These are questions that not only adults face. The artists of Theatre Fragile, with drama, circus arts and object theatre, enable their audience of all ages to experience the fact that friendship needs attention, openness and solidarity. And, on top of this, a lot of fun.

"nola second line"

zygos brass band (fr)

  Jazz could not be more fun: a brass band with hip-hop dancers who have committed themselves to the tradition of "second line" parades in New Orleans - NOLA, as the people of New Orleans call their city. The second line of a parade follows the "serious" first section and has neither permission nor a programme, to say nothing of solemn music. It´s about dancing and having fun, and that´s exactly what ZYGOS Brass Band intends to do: their motto is improvisation, their religion is adapting to the given environment - and to miss out on them would be a big mistake!

"cooperatzía - le chemin"

le collectif g. bistaki (fr)

  When exceptional artists perfect their art to such a point that the borders between body language, installation, dance and classical circus art are blurred completely; when it takes a second glance to realise that what is concealed behind flying handbags are juggling techniques which have been taken beyond recognition as a result of three swirling objects; when you watch incredulously how the domino effect works with roof tiles - ascending the stairs that is: Then you are in a performance by Collectif G. Bistaki. The five French jugglers, dancers and actors succeed in telling stories in pictures, creating a surrealistic world in an ordinary place. This year, it will be the grounds of Graz University of Technology at Inffeldgasse - even if, arguably, nobody will be aware of the daily use of this place throughout the performance.

"the speakers"

thor mcintyre-burnie (gb)

  Thor McIntyre´s project "The Speakers" has its roots in the numerous twitter voices with which people made their voices heard in the occupied squares during the Arab Spring. For La Strada, the British artist will expand his installation by yet another historical dimension: together with a team of the Department of History at the University of Graz, McIntyre will bring unheard voices from the First World War alive. The historians have been sifting through letters, diaries, reader´s letters and news from associations of the time to filter out what children, women and men had to say, to whom as yet hardly anybody has listened. "The Speakers" is an installation that blurs realities of other people and their public spaces with ours - in order to turn us into attentive listeners.

"no se"

leandre (es)

  The role of a clown is to create a hole that allows us to see humankind from a different perspective. Spanish street artiste Leandre is a grand master at creating these holes, through which, during his 16 years on Europe´s streets and stages, countless curious eyes have already looked. This summer, he will open up these fascinating holes with his two performances "Rien à dire" and "No se" in Graz, Weiz and Stainz; with his touching, poetic and unexpected performances, he will not only make the audience laugh. If you decide to get involved with Leandre, you can be fed, embraced, and sometimes kissed by him - more or less tenderly. But, first and foremost, you will laugh, looking through this infinitely exciting hole, on the other side of which mankind is to be found.

"emperor joseph II and the signalman´s daughter"

wolfram berger & christian bakanic (at)

  The drama begins at the railroad station in "Wuzelwang am Wuzel", when Franz Teuxelsieder comes home after collecting pine cones, and his future father-in-law asks him to assemble all the railway workers to go poaching together. When the Emperor and his Chancellor arrive, just as almost all of the railway workers happen to be absent, a hunter appears with a dead chamois, Nozerl faints sinking into the Emperor´s arms, and a murderer sniffs his chance to assassinate his Highness. Events come thick and fast; until the British arrive to declare that nothing of this has ever taken place. Wolfram Berger stages this "dramatic voice from Inner Austria" with music by Christian Bakanic based on a satirical play in one act by Fritz von Herzmanovsky-Orlando - and, by the way, the Emperor buys it all.

"klaxon"
 

compagnie akoreacro (fr)

  Five musicians, six artists and a panic-stricken piano: beneath the canopy of "Akoreacro´s" huge circus tent, classic acrobatic acts meet contemporary ways of interpretation, the limits of what is possible are explored and reality is brought face to face with fantasy - and all of this at a breathtaking pace. This year, the French artist collective, which already left the Graz audience of Cirque Noël breathless two years ago, will present its co-production ten times, including the Austrian premiere. Augarten park serves as the venue where, in addition to the circus tent, there will also be the caravans in which the artists live during the festival.

"moving chairs"
 

nota bene & eddie luis (at)

  This is nothing for those who like to stick in chairs, even if chairs are the protagonists in Eddie Luis´ "Moving Chairs". Because here, everybody is walking, lying down, standing upright and singing, with the chairs in constant movement; people are sitting on seats, people are sitting on chairs, and small chairs in love practice an uprising. Besides, the almost 45-strong choir Nota Bene redefines choral sitting - and the Graz multi-instrumentalist, conductor, singer, arranger and composer, with his songs, choral speaking and spoken text, makes sure that nobody will sit still for too long.

"les bâtîsses soeurs d´éphémères - workshop"

olivier grossetête (fr)

  One day is not such a long time to build a house. French artist Olivier Grossetête invites Graz people to construct an ephemeral building made of cardboard and adhesive tape in exactly this time span. He calls this new house "Les bâtisses soeurs d´éphémères", which can rise up to 20 metres above the well-trodden ground of the city. A splendid castle in the air that will change for a moment the perception of what we currently perceive as the city, creating new space, where people live, think, are creative and celebrate. But "Éphémère" means mayfly in French - and so the ephemeral building will only be memory the next day, to whose spectacular end a great number of people and inhabitants will contribute once again.

"les bâtîsses soeurs d´éphémères"
 

olivier grossetête (fr)

  One day is not such a long time to build a house. French artist Olivier Grossetête invites Graz people to construct an ephemeral building made of cardboard and adhesive tape in exactly this time span. He calls this new house "Les bâtisses soeurs d´éphémères", which can rise up to 20 metres above the well-trodden ground of the city. A splendid castle in the air that will change for a moment the perception of what we currently perceive as the city, creating new space, where people live, think, are creative and celebrate. But "Éphémère" means mayfly in French - and so the ephemeral building will only be memory the next day, to whose spectacular end a great number of people and inhabitants will contribute once again.

"scale 1:5"
 

hoppart (hu)

  "Five actors - one city, five sounds - one voice, five directions - one emotion": the artists of the Hungarian theatre group HOPPart conquer the city on a scale of one to five. With their powerful voices and a cappella performance of pop music classics on stairs, squares and benches, the graduates of the Hungarian theatre academy will turn every passer-by into a witness of experimental contemporary music theatre.

"open dance"

  Animated nights await Graz people at "Open Dance" when, under the open sky, the streets will turn into a dance floor, complete with live music. On the third night, Christian Bakanic and Mala Junta will present an intriguing mix of Argentine tango and European folk music.

"finale party"

the merry poppins (at)

  Everything has to end sometime! For La Strada, this will be quite precisely on 9 August at 10pm when the grand finale party starts in Lesliehof courtyard. And then, the only thing left to do for the artists, audience and organisers will be to move to the teeny-weeny selection of musical styles that "The Merry Poppins" have included in their repertoire. Because except for Klezmer, R&B, swing, Dixie, reggae, Ska, Balkan pop, jive, polka, ragtime, country and jazz, the Austrian band has hardly anything to offer - but everything has to end at some point!