The team of the performance “Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers” is on its way to the “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER” festival in Brno, Czech Republic
The diploma performance “Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers”, created by the recent acting and directing graduates of the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) and directed by Kārlis Krūmiņš, is participating in the prestigious international theatre school festival “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER”. The festival, organized for the 36th year by the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, takes place in Brno, Czech Republic, from April 14 to April 18.
The innovative contemporary mask comedy, which creatively reinterprets commedia dell’arte, begins its international journey after successful performances in Latvia, representing contemporary Latvian performing arts at the “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER” festival. Alongside the LAC production, the festival program includes performances from performing arts schools in South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, as well as various workshops, discussions, and networking events. Performances are evaluated by an international jury, which awards prizes for outstanding artistic achievement in categories that change each year. This year’s jury includes Moroccan theatre director, scenographer, and researcher Amin Boudrika, Hungarian dramaturge Sára Torley-Havas, theatre director, pedagogue, researcher, and commedia dell’arte master, LAC Honorary Professor Davide Giovanzana, and Mexican scenographer and artist Aris Pretelin-Estéves.
LAC productions have previously been included in the “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER” program as well – “Cymbeline” directed by Davide Giovanzana in 2008, the collectively created production “The Vanishing Future” (2019) developed under Giovanzana’s guidance, and “Hey, You There!” directed by Nellija Spūle in 2024. Notably, Kārlis Krūmiņš, the director of “The Dreamers”, also performed in “Cymbeline”, creating a symbolic full circle in his professional development – from participating in the festival as an acting student to returning as a professional director and a leading specialist and educator of commedia dell’arte in Latvia.
“Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers” will be performed twice at the “SETKÁNÍ/ENCOUNTER” festival – on April 17 at 14.30 and 18.00 at Studio Marta. Tickets: Contemporary mask comedy: The Dreamers On April 18 at 9.00, a public discussion will take place at the Theatre Faculty of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, where the creative team, together with other festival participants, will share insights into the creation process of the performance.
The creative team of “Contemporary Mask Comedy: The Dreamers” includes director and playwright Kārlis Krūmiņš, actors Tomass Ralfs Ābolkalns, Mārtiņš Gailis, Tatjana Gurēviča, Krists Jēkabsons, Ralfs Liepa, Elizabete Milta, Kristaps Kristers Ozols, and Sergejs Smikovs, set and costume designer Līga Šteinboka, lighting designer Māra Vaļikova, and producers Kristīne Freiberga, Ance Bergmane, and Elza Strazdiņa.
The guest performance is supported financially by the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Erasmus+ programme, and the Latvian Academy of Culture.