OK CARBON

The production is based on a series of attempts to use the machine as a theatrical improvisational tool, whose counterpart on stage is a group of volunteers the applied for a open call by Peter Gonda. The machine becomes part of the social sculpture created during the course of the project. The starting point was a dive into the history of automation, from its mechanical beginnings to the current assemblage of code, robots and humans (not only) in the workplace.

The cast is made up of a group of volunteers who participated in the creative process with director Peter Gonda and the collective. After a series of productions where the potential of working with non-actors has been explored, Gonda and his collective come up with a show that questions the possibilities of non-actors and machines co-existing on stage.

Concept and direction: Peter Gonda
Dramaturgy: Adam Dragun
Sound and music: Michal Cáb 
Scenography: Matěj Sýkora
Code Architecture: Samuel Michalik
Production: Klára Mamojková, Tereza Dvořáková
Performers: Karolína Ježková, Anna Kárníková, Eliška Kupcová, Eva Oliva, Lenka Pražáková, Alice Procházková, Jolana Ritterová, Hana Sarvajová, Lucie Sčurková, Anastasia Sirůčková, Jakub Sláma, Monika Soušová, Hana Venclová
Special thanks: Natália Sýkorová, Lukáš Vodseďálek
Photo: Michal Hančovský, Radim Labuda

Premiere: 12. 11. 2021, Alfred ve dvoře, Praha

Peter Gonda graduated in directing from KALD DAMU under the direction of Jiří Adámek, Dávid Jařáb and Miroslav Krobot. In his theater, he focuses on finding post-dramatic staging forms, often in collaboration with a non-actor. He lives in Prague, where he is part of the audio-visual improvisational body Kolektiv. With a number of collaborators, he has realized several plays: Sarajevo (2013) presented at the Next Wave Festival 2013 in Brno, SION (2016) presented at the Alta Theater in Prague and Endgame (2012), Neklid (2014), The Last Case of Detective Konečník (2015), Hell is also just a sauna (2016) and Rilato (2017) staged at the Slovak Theater Festival Kiosk at stanica Žilina-Záriečie. His latest productions were ATISMIA (2018) exploring the utopian imaginary of Prague's citizens and Six Stories (2019) realized for the contemporary art center Petrohradska Kolektiv in Prague and Piece for Random Twelve Specific Non-Actors (2021) in Bratislava.

Matěj Sýkora studied stage design at Brno's JAMU Theater Academy. He is an amateur art historian, restorer, museum installer and film stage designer. He did stage and costume design for theaters like D'EPOG, Na zábradlí, Švandovo divadlo, Divadlo Letí, D 21, Divadlo Husa na provázku, MeetFactory, Feste, Reduta, Tramtárie, Líšen, Studio Dům, Continuo, HaDivadlo or Strašnický divadlo. He worked with Peter Gond on the productions SION (2016), Rilato (2017) and Six Stories (2019).

Michal Cáb deals with music improvisation, synthesizer programming and sound installations. He graduated in theology and is a postgraduate of Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. In his artistic practice, he deals mainly with the issue of programming languages as the basic means of expression of today's artist. He has realized a number of musical collaborations for theater performances and exhibition projects. He worked with Gonda on Endgame (2012), Sarajevo (2013), Neklid (2014), Hell is also just a sauna (2016), ATISMIA (2018) and Six Stories (2019).

Adam Dragun studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and the Academy of Theater Arts in Krakow. He collaborates with the Bratislava creative platform Batyskaf. He directed and dramaturgically participated in the productions Forms of Perversion on Stage (2020) and Piece for Random Twelve Specific Non-Actors (2021). He made the short documentary Prcat.