Press release
October 2020
Nothing else, Mothers. The author’s production about the mother-daughter relationship will have a site-specific premiere at the festival 4+4 days in motion.
Author’s production Dominika Špalková and Anna Klimešová is heading to a site-specific premiere at festival 4+4 days in motion. In the secession space of the New Strašnice School will take place two compositions of the relationship between mother and daughter called Nothing else, Mothers. In the production for two performers will appear dancer Cécile Da Costa and actress Antonia Forman.
Author’s production of Dominika Špalková and Anna Klimešová Nothing else, Mothers is a composition of the mother-daughter relationship. Is about melting subjective memory, the power and power of our feelings, acceptance and handling. Transmission of emotional patterns from generation to generation. To what extent will we be influenced by our initial relationships and accepted patterns of behavior? And when we can look at them, can we exceed them?
The title, theme and structure of the production were inspired by music. “Dominika approached me to see if I want to do a show with her about a mother-daughter relationship called Nothing. else, Mothers. She used to think that Metallica’s song is actually called that, which is actually pretty accurate,” reveals the origin of the title of the production director Anna Klimešová.
“I like “children’s mistakes”, when we have thought for a long time that something means something and only later we found out that it meant something completely different. Such a moment spontaneously drives us out of our sometimes rigid attitudes, which strikes me as a parallel to understanding relationships generally. What is the truth and what do we project into relationships? And how to look at them differently than before? At the same time, the title loop has the potential for humour and playfulness to appear in our production,” adds Dominika Špalková, continuing:
“After one performance at the Drak Theatre, I sat with a group of artists and they all sat down all evening talking about their mothers. I realized that this is a topic that is current, and I wonder how this initial relationship between daughter and mother affects our other relationships in life, and how it affects society. It’s about communication, strategies and formulas that we often unconsciously repeat. I found it interesting grab it theatrically.“
Inspiration from music is also reflected in the structure of the production directors and performers put together in the style of composition. “We take it as one song that we have divided into several parts, which stretch throughout the production and show the individual phases of relationship. As in music, the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship are variable, ” says Anna Klimešová. Both directors have known each other for a long time and years ago they created a performance of Vertigo based on the book Waves from Virginia Woolf together.
In Nothing else, Mothers perform dancer Cécile Da Costa, with whom Špalková collaborated on physical production Roselyne, and actress Antonie Formanová. The analogy of mother-daughter relationship thus gets into two-generation cast – the dancer teaches the actress to dance and vice versa, as well as daughters learn from mothers in life.
The women’s production team is complemented by a composer Marie Čtveráčková known as Mary C, light designer Eliška Kociánová and scenographer Karolína Kotrbová. “I try to connect scenography as much as possible to our theme and in the space to mirror the mother-daughter relationship, its variability, moodiness, pleasantness, surprise, but also negatives. The space should therefore be lively and surprising, like the relationship itself,” the scenographer adds. The production was created during August at a residence in Fundacja Palac Gorzanów, which ended with a presentation of work in progress. After site-specific premiere 13 and 14 October (both at 20.00) at the festival 4+4 days in motion, it will move to the Alfred Theatre in the courtyard in November. Theatre premieres on 12 and 13 November.
Nothing else, Mothers
Theme and direction: Dominika Špalková and Anna Klimešová
Choreography: Cécile Da Costa
Performed by: Antonie Formanová, Cécile Da Costa
Music: Marie Čtveráčková
Scenography: Karolína Kotrbová
Lighting Design: Eliška Kociánová
Producer: ProFitArt, z.s.
Partners: Festival 4+4 days in motion, Alfred in the courtyard, Fundacja Pałac Gorzanów
Supported: Capital City of Prague, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, International Visegrad Fund, State Fund of Culture of the Czech Republic
Site-specific premiere: 13th and 14th October 2020 as part of the festival 4+4 days in motion, New Strašnice School
The theatre premiere: 12th and 13th October 2020 in the Alfred theatre in the courtyard
You can buy tickets in the section Nearest program on the main page of our website.