The ETC Drama Committee has announced their 2024 selection of four contemporary drama texts among a pool of 13 quality submissions from Member Theatres.
ETC will support the four texts with a grant (up to €1,500) for their translation into English and contribute to their international circulation.
The selected plays will also be integrated into the programme of the upcoming ETC International Theatre Conference 'The Young. The Bold. Break the Mould' in Nova Gorica (Slovenia), from 18 - 21 April 2024.
After careful consideration and deliberation, the Committee selected the four following texts:
- 'The Frailty of Togetherness' – Miguel Castro Caldas (São Luiz Teatro Municipal, Portugal)
The Frailty of Togetherness (2022) stems from a desire to discuss – dialogically - the most pressing and complex challenges Europe and the world is facing today: the (re)rise of populism and authoritarian models. By participating in this current dialogue, this play proposes to look at key concepts such as democracy, liberalism, capitalism and marriage. What do they mean? Do they still matter today?
The ETC Drama Committee described this play as tackling "one of the most pressing topics" in modern society and particularly enjoyed how it portrayed "the fragile social and political fabric of democracy which is easily discarded and abused through populist, retrograde narratives."
- 'Lost&Found' – Nalini Vidoolah Mootoosamy (PAV/Fabulamundi, Italy)
Lost&Found (2022) is a play on the right to freedom of movement. A right that often becomes a privilege based on “who we are” and “where we come from”. On one side, we follow the story of two tourists (A and B) who, thanks to the privilege of their European passports, can move more freely in non-European countries and visit places they consider to be their “dream places”. On the other hand, we witness the misadventures of X, a migrant without the right documents, to reach and stay in his “dream place”: the European fortress.
The ETC Drama Committee particularly enjoyed the mixing and mirroring of two parallel stories, one of an irregular migrant, and the other of two young Europeans.
- 'Snackbar' – Magne van den Berg (De Toneelmakerij, The Netherlands)
Snackbar (2022) deals with the harsh realities of child sexual abuse and incest. This is a profound and disconcerting play about the courage it takes to stand up for yourself and others. More than focussing on the physical horrors of sexual abuse, the play investigates the horror of silence and celebrates the strength of those who dare to break it.
A "challenging" play that sensitively tackles the heavy topic of child sexual abuse: it does not only break the silence but also thematises it.
- 'A Rainy Day in Gurlitsch' – Milan Ramšak Marković (Prešernovo Gledališče Kranj, Slovenia)
A Rainy Day in Gurlitsch (2023) is inspired by a wish to play with road-movie dramaturgy in theatre. Beginning as a benign dialogue play showing a dinner party in a charming middle-class home, we slowly turn to the central theme of the play: a fragmented trip through a traumatic feeling of loss that we recognise as common in today’s Western liberal culture.
The ETC Drama Committee highlighted the play's "fresh narrative in today’s world full of trauma, identity crises, and loss".
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Below, you will find the remaining submissions. Although they were not chosen for this year's selection, they were praised for their quality:
- 'White Caribou' – Marie Nováková and Tomáš Loužný (National Theatre Prague/Czech Republic)
- 'Where are the Children?' – Jokin Oregi (Teatro Arriaga, Spain)
- 'Everyone Neighed After His Neighbor’s Wife' – Anna Petrova (Theatre and Music Centre Kardjali , Bulgaria)
- 'Domaš at Crossroads' – Rajko Radulović (Royal Theatre 'Zetski Dom', Montenegro)
- 'Right to Die' – Tereza Trusinová (Slovak National Drama Theatre, Slovakia)
- '170 square meters (Moonwalk)' – Giorgis Tsouris (Cyprus Theatre Organisation, Cyprus)
- 'Tikkun Olam' – Teunkie Van Der Sluijs (Young Vic, UK)
- 'The Vanishing' – Tomislav Zajec (Croatian National Theatre, Croatia)
- 'Kant' – Marius Ivaškevičius (State Small Theatre of Vilnius, Lithuania)
An English excerpt of all submitted texts is available for ETC Member Theatre in our Play's Directory.
Cover photo: (c) De Toneelmakerij / Sanne Peper
