ARETEIA by Grzegorz Jarzyna in Essen

The newest production of Grzegorz Jarzyna, ARETEIA, part of Odyssey Europe project, will be premiered at Schauspielhaus Essen on 27 February 2010.

Within the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 project, six theaters from the area of Ruhr: Schauspielhaus Bochum, Schauspiel Dortmund, Schauspiel Essen, Schlosstheater Moers, Theater an der Ruhr and Theater Oberhausen carry out a project called Odyssey Europe whose aim is to tell the story of Homer’s Odyssey anew. The authors from six European cities have been asked to participate in the project. Beside Grzegorz Jarzyna, the following artists have been invited: Péter Nádas (Budapest), Emine Sevgi Özdamar (Istanbul), Christoph Ransmayr (Vienna), Roland Schimmelpfennig (Berlin) and Enda Walsh (London). They have prepared texts which are to present our continent as well as us, the Eurpeans, and our culture within the Odysey Europe project in an unexpected perspective. Grzegorz Jarzyna is the only playwright who directs his own play to be staged within the project.

Odyssey is much more than one of the oldest texts of western culture. It is an adventure story, a heroic epos, a love story and a family drama in one. Six authors from Poland, Hungary, Austria, Ireland, Germany and Turkey allow Homeric characters to present themselves in an amazing contemporary world. Odysseus on his way home is an adventurer, a symbol of contemporary Europeans who, faced with the Stranger, must answer for themselves some questions about identity and future.

During five weekends, the performances shall be combined in one huge story showed in the form of a theater marathon where the audience shall be invited by raumlaborberlin to set off upon a journey to six cities in the Industrial Ruhr Area.

Areteia has been produced by Schauspiel Essen in co-operation with TR Warszawa.

First night of the Odyssey Europe project: 27/28 February 2010
Other performances: 6/7 March, 13/14 ,March , 2/3 April and 22/23 May.

First day:

Schauspiel Essen: Areteia
text and direction: Grzegorz Jarzyna

Schauspielhaus Bochum: Der elfte Gesang [Song Eleven]
text: Roland Schimmelpfennig, director: Lisa Nielebock

Theater Oberhausen: Penelope
text: Enda Walsh, director: Tilman Knabe

Second day:

Theater an der Ruhr: Sirenengesang [The Mermaid Song]
text: Péter Nádas, director: Roberto Ciulli

Schlosstheater Moers: Perikızı
text: Emine Sevgi Özdamar, director Ulrich Greb

Schauspiel Dortmund: Odysseus, Verbrecher. Schauspiel einer Heimkehr [Odysseus, the Criminal Returning Home]
text: Christoph Ransmayer, director: Michael Gruner