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 tba
Genre theatre
Language Dutch
Surtitles English, Thu, August 24 - Thu, August 31
In Gesprek Fri, August 25 & Fri, September 1
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 won the 2020 Regieprijs with her adaptation of Weg met Eddy Bellegueule. Last season she directed the hit performance De jaren, based on the book by the most recent winner of the Nobel Prize for literature Annie Ernaux. For ITA she previously directed The Hours based on the novel by Michael Cunningham. Since 2022, Eline Arbo has been Associate Artistic Director at ITA.
Eline Arbo about 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 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.
Since 2022 Eline Arbo is Associate Artistic Director at ITA. From January ‘23, Arbo will be 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 23|24 her directions of Prima Facie (Suzie Miller) and The Laws (Connie Palmen) will premiere at ITA and her directions of Penthesileaand The Hourswill be reprised.
CREDITS
directed by Eline Arbo
composition and musical direction Thijs van Vuure
text Heinrich von Kleist
translation Gerrit Komrij
adaptation Eline Arbo, Bart Van den Eynde
dramaturgy Bart Van den Eynde
scenography Pascal Leboucq
costumes Alva Brosten
light design Varja Klosse
sound design Dennis Slot
private producer Jeroen van Ingen and Jaap Kooijman, Bertil van Kaam
supported by Ammodo
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assistant director Daniël 't Hoen, Zorba Huisman, Anne van der Vegt (intern)
assistant dramaturgy Mimi Wiggers (intern)
assistant scenography Django Walon, Rae Elstak (intern)
assistant light Jasper Kayser (intern)
head of technical staff Reyer Meeter
head artistic office Loesje Riethof
head of production Michiel van Schijndel
productionleader Inge Zeilinga
technical producer Rick Liesveld
technical production Joris Reijmer
scenographical technical producer Ramon Huijbrechts
technical staff Stijn van der Leeuw (stage manager), Pepijn van Beek, Emile Bleeker, Rinse de Jong, Zinzi Kemper, David Logger, Nelis Meijer, Wouter Pieters, Thijs Veerman, Toon de Vries
costume department Wim van Vliet (hoofd), Farida Bouhbouh, Leanne Vandenbussche
dresser Carlijn Veurink
hair and make-up Mirjam Venema
photography Dim Balsem
graphical design Serena Kloet, Michelle Jansen
casting advice Hans Kemna
publicity Iris Istha
with thanks to Wieteke Wijte (zangcoach)
This performance is supported by
