“Actors of my agitation” is a performance that explores the topic of waiting and active action in the context of war. In the first act, “Calling Home,” objects are given “voices.” These things are waiting for their owners, who left them because of the war. A composer records the sounds of each object, creating unique sound portraits. The second act, “Call to Action”, symbolizes the active role and the need to create conditions for victory.
The project enters into a dialogue with Carl Honoré’s concept of “radical everyday life,” which focuses on the importance of slowing down the pace of life for a deeper understanding and experience of contemporary events. The project also comments on the work of the Italian artist Giorgio Morandi, who lived and worked during the Fascist regime in Italy. Morandi is known for his still life created under conditions of political tension. His works, like those of many Soviet artists, can be seen as an attempt to escape from the tumultuous political context into a “slow life” and focus on simple, everyday objects. However, in a time of war, the desire for a “quiet, slow life” is at odds with reality.
The scenography is also based on a reference to the work and philosophical concept of the prominent Ukrainian scenographer Danylo Lider, which reveals the idea of the “Big and Small Worlds.”
The first presentation of work in progress took place on August 9, 2024 at Les Kurbasʼ centre, Kyiv.
The work was implemented by proto produkciia foundation and co-funded by ZMINA: Rebuilding program, created with the support of the European Union as part of a special call for proposals to support Ukrainian IDPs and the Ukrainian cultural and creative sectors, with the support of the IZOLYATSIA Foundation, Trans Europe Halles and Malý Berlín.
The author creates life in her home, putting her soul into every household object, shaping the streets, stairs and houses around them. You can feel the care for her own family of “actors of inner agitation”. It is at this moment that the title of the play becomes clear and tangible – it could not be otherwise.
Olyga Leshchyk
director, art therapist, mentor