TO BE DEFINED || a self-portrait. SPECIAL PROJECT FOR FESTIVAL ATERTEATER 2015.

TO BE DEFINED is a solo-performance, for a theatrical stage, and shows the impossible, but incessant attempt of mankind to define what and who we are. The basic question is therefore not only “Who are we?” but also “Who can we be?”: both necessary questions to every change. Thus, TO BE DEFINED is a performance about the origin of change; of every change!

TO BE DEFINED is a performer (Benno Steinegger, also author of the project) on a theatrical stage who listens to interviews (which he has collected previously) through headphones and repeats aloud what he hears. Steinegger has asked people to meet and describe him. He has recorded and processed this interviews. When he finally repeats the interviews, which are nothing else than descriptions of himself, the image of his body on stage and the descriptions overlap by becoming a self-portrait.

As the performance proceeds the audio track speeds gradually up. The performer’s task is to reproduce as closely as possible what he hears trough the headphones. The task is becoming more and more difficult. Meanings of sentences, words and letters vanish and become sound, rhythm and music. At that point some musicians come on stage and begin to ‘interact’ with the performer, leading the audience into a more emotional and dreamlike dimension. Finally, when the maximum speed of the track will be reached, there will remain only a single sound: the vowel ‘i’ pronounced by the performer.

The project will be developed trough some creative residencies (as for Festival Aterteater 2015), which will be followed by performances created specially for that occasions, and a longer production period in spring 2016. 

The premiere is scheduled between May and October 2016.