penthesilea
Penthesilea by Heinrich von Kleist is considered one of the masterpieces of the world theatre repertoire. In this searing drama about a fatal love, a blistering passion churns unstoppably to the surface. Kleist himself wrote about it: 'My innermost being is to be found in it, the whole filth and loftiness of my soul.'
Run time 125 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Surtitles English, Thu, September 12 & 19
In Gesprek Fri, September 20 & 27
Please note: the performance uses stroboscopic lighting effects.
Penthesilea
Penthesilea is the queen of the Amazons, a nation of all-female warriors. They were only allowed to reproduce with men whom they had defeated in battle. During the Trojan War, the Amazons do not fight against the Greeks to help the besieged Trojans, but only to capture soldiers. When Amazon queen Penthesilea and the Greek army commander Achilles come face to face on the battlefield, it is love at first sight. From that moment on, Penthesilea will do anything to defeat him.
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Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 24/25, she will create Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) and The Wall (Marlen Haushofer); re-make The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis) and The Years (Annie Ernaux), which she previously directed elsewhere; and her stagings of The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), Penthesilea (Heinrich von Kleist) and The Hours (Michael Cunningham) will be reprised.
Eline Arbo on Penthesilea
“Kleist knows how to translate the age-old conflict between man and woman into a moving love story with complex characters. The meeting between Penthesilea and Achilles plunges them both into an existential crisis. She represents a hopeful, new form of love. And yet they fail to get together. They underestimate each other, and the consequences are horrific. The play is therefore more than a story about the difference between man and woman. It reveals how we internalise the norms and values of our own culture. Kleist wrote a dramatic piece with a tragic ending. But the real tragedy is that in the society Penthesilea and Achilles live in, there is no room for their version of love.”
In the press
NRC
“Penthesilea is a ravishing performance and a new highlight in Arbo's oeuvre.”
Trouw
“Eline Arbo puts a mark of her own on Penthesilea.”
The Guardian
“Ilke Paddenburg’s Amazon queen presents a fearsome clash of sensuality and aggression.”
Theaterkrant (Critic's Choice)
“Arbo's Penthesilea proves to be the most vital love tragedy since Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet.”
The Stage
“The ITA ensemble is excellent as ever, comfortable as actor-musicians, but Paddenburg’s Queen dominates the production, a stage-conquering performance.”
DIGITAL BROCHURE
Read more about the production's author, direction, music, scenography and costumes in our digital brochure.
In Gesprek
After the performance, come and think, listen and chat at In Gesprek. We invite a guest to further explore the themes of Penthesilea and to exchange experiences. If you have any questions, this is the perfect time to ask them. In Gesprek is free of charge and starts shortly after the performance in one of our foyers, is conducted in Dutch and lasts about half an hour.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 24|25, she will create Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) and The Wall (Marlen Haushofer); re-make The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis) and The Years (Annie Ernaux), which she previously directed elsewhere; and her stagings of The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), Penthesilea (Heinrich von Kleist) and The Hours (Michael Cunningham) will be reprised.
Ibsen artist in residence
Since January '23, Eline Arbo is Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically. The Ibsen Artist in Residence receives an annual budget for their own artistic development, also outside ITA.
Credits
by Heinrich von Kleist
directed by Eline Arbo
composition and musical direction Thijs van Vuure
adaptation Eline Arbo, Bart Van den Eynde
translation Gerrit Komrij
dramaturgy Bart Van den Eynde
scenography Pascal Leboucq
light design Varja Klosse
sound design Dennis Slot
costumes Alva Brosten
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private producer Jeroen van Ingen and Jaap Kooijman, Bertil van Kaam
supported by Ammodo
this production is supported by the Philip Loubser Foundation within Eline Arbo's Ibsen Artist in Residency
This performance is supported by
