The Beautiful Past (2018)

This piece was performed by seven performers for the event “2222” at Fylkingen (on 22 February). The performers challenged how (much) to activate their recollection of sad emotions during the event. For three hours the performers acted sad through their own emotional memories at the bar area while audience members were drinking and socializing. Referring to the theory of surface/deep acting (Hochschild) and method acting (Stanislavski), they experimented with how to present the emotions and the level of performativity: pretend to be sad or express their true sadness, look sad, act sad or get sad… At the end, the performers moved to the main stage and stood under the spotlights. They cried in front of the audience, for the moment of 22:22.

Performance at 2222 at Fylkingen, Stockholm, Sweden: Co-organized with Magnus Logi Kristinsson, Jan-Egil Finne and Liv Kristin Holmberg

(photo by Anna Drvnik)

Performers:

Veronika Noni Öberg

Maria Olsson

Andrea Lopez Robles

Hanna Tebrand

Henrik Green

Jeanette Jarvenpaa

Stina McChesney