Radical Space: Isaiah Lopaz
Isaiah Lopaz is a transdisciplinary artist from Tongvaland whose work revolves around collage, photography, text and performance. Leading up to the performance Giovanni’s Room by the ITA Ensemble, Lopaz delves into the legacy of James Baldwin. He shares his personal connection to the work, reads from his Anthology / Appendix series and engages the audience in conversation about the play's themes after the performance.
Location The Bookshop
Run time 40 minutes
Genre Perspective
Language English
Free admission
Isaiah Lopaz
Leading up to the performance Giovanni's Room by the ITA Ensemble, we dive into the legacy of James Baldwin and how his work inspires and resonates today. As a black, queer American in Europe, Baldwin processed his experiences into sharp essays, novels and interviews, exposing issues around identity, exclusion and desire. But what does it mean to present his work now within the walls of a theater?
During this participatory introduction, Lopaz will read a short introduction about Giovanni's Room and his personal relationship to this work, followed by short stories he has written as part of a series titled Anthology / Appendix. This series consists of short stories featuring an intergenerational cast of Black Queer characters. Themes and topics explored in the collection include: love, faith, self-determination, aging, migration, colorism, complex family dynamics, grief and transformation. These stories, written during the pandemic, have a kinship with Baldwin's work.
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After the performance, Lopaz also invites the audience to discuss the performance afterward, in a “Reverse Q&A.” The audience is seen as valuable contributors to a discourse that engages with the themes and issues raised in the original novel and play. Using questions prepared by Lopaz, he and the audience attempt to contextualize the layered themes and topics in the play and novel. Topics include: internalized homophobia, Queer rights and activism, class differences, racism and love.
Radical Space in The Bookshop
With the arrival of The Bookshop, ITA introduces Radical Space: an initiative that reclaims theatre as a place for solidarity, empathy and artistic innovation. In this space on Leidseplein, we will give a stage to diverse voices and perspectives, exploring the complex legacy of (our) theatre and its social impact.
Following successful programmes such as Keti Koti 2024, Radical Space focuses on pressing social issues such as colonialism, class inequality, sexism and transphobia. Here, together with artists, makers and thinkers, we develop interdisciplinary projects that provide space for critical artistic commentary.
The Bookshop
The Bookshop is ITA's new cultural living room on Leidseplein. This compact stage offers a space for innovation, reflection and new perspectives. Here, makers, performers and visitors meet for special programmes, from experiments to intimate performances. The Bookshop is a place for everyone, with a focus on accessibility and openness. It is a gift to the city, made possible by the support of more than 500 donors and various funds and partners.
