Solo for Lu (source: Radovan Dranga)
THEATRE can be a means to elucidate some of the problems which might arise from misunderstandings between cultures when they come into contract with each other. Two playwrights chose this theme for their presentations at the [fjúžn] festival held between April 18 and 24. One focused on the cultural differences between China and central Europe, while the other dealt with problems that arise when so-called charitable organisations set out to solve the problems of the developing world.
Solo for Lu is a one-woman play about the life of a Chinese woman who moved from her homeland to the Czech Republic. The play was originally performed in Archa Theatre in Prague under the direction of Jana Svobodová. Through humorous stories, dance and music, Lu takes the audience on a journey through her childhood to her job working in a factory and leading up to her decision to move to central Europe. The play was performed at the elledance theatre on April 18.
Another play, performed in the Divadlo Lab on April 22, told a different kind of story.
Benefit or Save Your African, written by German playwright and director Indrig Lausund, urged the audience to question the sincerity and intentions of organisers of certain charities who claim to be raising money for children living in underdeveloped countries. In the play an organisation called Dvojfarebný Svet (Two-Tone World) arranges a fund-raising event which turns out to be more about glamorous lifestyles than anything to alleviate the problems of African children. The play was performed by students of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.
“We wanted to show two different worlds – what people see and what is behind it,” said Roman Maroš, director of the play.
This page was prepared by Tímea Becková, Roman Cuprik, Michaela Džomeková, Miroslava Germanová, Kristína Hamárová, Karolína Kučerová, Radka Minarechová, Martina Raábová, Lenka Sabová, Natália Semianová and Carmen Virágová. The authors are all participating in the Reporting Diversity programme, which is aimed at training young journalists to report on diversity and minorities within Slovak society. The programme is prepared by The Slovak Spectator in cooperation with Comenius University's School of Journalism and is supported by the US Embassy in Bratislava.
