Radical Space: Isaiah Lopaz

Close
The Bookshop

Radical Space: Isaiah Lopaz

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam

Shows

Sorry, there are currently no available shows.
Radical Space: Isaiah Lopaz
Internationaal Theater Amsterdam

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.

-|-
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.

Opening bookshop pianist

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.

Opening Bookshop

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.

More perspective

Language NP Language no problem Public Tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public Tour (in English)
Close Public Tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
07 Sep '24 to 05 Jul '25
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public tour (in Dutch)
Close Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
07 Sep '24 to 05 Jul '25
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: loss and unity Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid Perspective programmes Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: loss and unity
Close Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: loss and unity Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid
12 Jun '25
Join us for the live podcast recordings of Rise of the Rainbow at The Bookshop!
Together with inspiring guests from the LGBTQIA+ community, we explore the themes behind the theatre experience. Two episodes per session — with a free drink during the break!
Language NP Language no problem Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: Freedom and Resistance Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid Perspective programmes Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: Freedom and Resistance
Close Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow - episode: Freedom and Resistance Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid
17 Jun '25
Join us for the live podcast recordings of Rise of the Rainbow at The Bookshop!
Together with inspiring guests from the LGBTQIA+ community, we explore the themes behind the theatre experience. Two episodes per session — with a free drink during the break!
Language NP Language no problem Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid Perspective programmes Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow
Close Podcastopname Rise of the Rainbow Theater van de Heelheid, DROPSTUFF MEDIA i.s.m. het Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld & Geluid
26 Jun '25
Join us for the live podcast recordings of Rise of the Rainbow at The Bookshop!
Together with inspiring guests from the LGBTQIA+ community, we explore the themes behind the theatre experience. Two episodes per session — with a free drink during the break!
Language NP Language no problem Keti Koti 2025 Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Keti Koti 2025
Close Keti Koti 2025 Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
01 Jul '25
On 1 July, as in previous years, ITA commemorates the abolition of slavery with a special Keti Koti programme. This year's theme is shared heritage, dialogue and cultural expression.
Language NP Language no problem Blaq Tito Addressing the Parliament of Ghosts Christian Guerematchi Perspective programmes Blaq Tito Addressing the Parliament of Ghosts
Close Blaq Tito Addressing the Parliament of Ghosts Christian Guerematchi
01 Aug '25
Screening of the film Crni Tito – Blaq Tito Addressing the Parliament of Ghosts, followed by an inspiring conversation with the filmmaker and various speakers on queerness in Eastern Europe and Africa.
Language NP Language no problem Public tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public tour (in English)
Close Public tour (in English) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
06 Sep '25 to 06 Jun '26
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour (in English) of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam Perspective programmes Public tour (in Dutch)
Close Public tour (in Dutch) Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
06 Sep '25 to 06 Jun '26
Every first Saturday of the month, you can join the public tour of the building and get a peek behind all the doors that would otherwise remain closed.
Language NP Language no problem Theatercollege met Saskia Belleman en Petra Urban - Naakt voor de rechter Theater Theater Colleges Perspective programmes Theatercollege met Saskia Belleman en Petra Urban - Naakt voor de rechter
Close Theatercollege met Saskia Belleman en Petra Urban - Naakt voor de rechter Theater Theater Colleges
15 Nov '25
Theater lecture on court reporting: Saskia Belleman and Petra Urban share stories and challenges from 15 years of working together in the courtroom.
Language NP Language no problem Haagsch College: Griet op de Beeck -  Het wordt beter Haagsch College Perspective programmes Haagsch College: Griet op de Beeck - Het wordt beter
Close Haagsch College: Griet op de Beeck - Het wordt beter Haagsch College
01 Dec '25
Griet Op de Beeck is one of the most successful authors in the Dutch-speaking world. She wrote, among others, the bestsellers Vele hemels boven de zevende and Kom hier dat ik u kus. Het wordt beter is her non-fiction debut.
Language NP Language no problem Theatercollege Japke-d. Bouma-  Vrouwen en mannen op het werk Theater Colleges Perspective programmes Theatercollege Japke-d. Bouma- Vrouwen en mannen op het werk
Close Theatercollege Japke-d. Bouma- Vrouwen en mannen op het werk Theater Colleges
03 Dec '25
Should women bluff more? Or should men become more modest instead? Japke-d. Bouma offers useful, practical tips for both woman and men.
Language NP Language no problem Theatercollege Barbara Baarsma - De economische stand van het land Theater Colleges Perspective programmes Theatercollege Barbara Baarsma - De economische stand van het land
Language NP Language no problem Op reis door een nieuwe wereld - Ruben Terlou & Jelle Brandt Corstius Theaterbureau De Mannen Perspective programmes Op reis door een nieuwe wereld - Ruben Terlou & Jelle Brandt Corstius
Close Op reis door een nieuwe wereld - Ruben Terlou & Jelle Brandt Corstius Theaterbureau De Mannen
09 Mar '26 to 10 Mar '26
Ruben Terlou and Jelle Brandt Corstius explore the new world order through personal travel stories and encounters.
Language NP Language no problem Haagsch College: Beatrice de Graaf Haagsch College Perspective programmes Haagsch College: Beatrice de Graaf
Close Haagsch College: Beatrice de Graaf Haagsch College
16 Mar '26
Beatrice de Graaf shows in Chaos in de Westerse wereld how the past sheds light on today's threat.