‚Heartbeat‘ is a collection of moments that were devised over 4 weeks with a cast of 11 performers. The exploration was initiated by taking inspiration from objects we brought in to play with and various photographs that all put a specific object in focus, like a needle and a thread, a toothbrush, a pill or oranges. Using the heart as an anchor, we started to explore matters of the heart in connection to the inspiration the objects had given us.
What is love? How come we’re usually told that love wins over everything. We’re told it’s the ultimate goal to be in a relationship. Yet, if we take a closer look, we realise how disruptive and chaotic love can be and what an emotional rollercoaster it can take us on.
However finding a sense of belonging and connection is a core human need and hence we are wired to look out for humans that can satisfy this need and make us feel loved.
In ‘Heartbeat’ you will be taken on a journey from the first moments of getting to know someone, to crossing the bridge to physical intimacy, to loosing connection and experiencing heartbreak.
Learning to love yourself and questioning stereotypical roles and relationship constellations might be a way to experience deeper connections, but we don’t have the answers.
All we know is that love seems like a chemical reaction that appears when you are at the right time and place with an open heart and both humans have the capacity to be present with the other while not losing the awareness of themselves.
Take a moment to connect to your own heart and ask yourself, ‘What is it, my heart loves? When does it beat stronger? What makes it jump? What calms it down?’
Performers Ahmed Al-taai, Nicolas Altmann, Eleni Chioni, Lukas Hagenauer, Sabrina Lang-Muhr, Christina Leitner, Emma Mocker, Laura Petracco, Michelle Schleiffer, Beata Varadyova, Nora Went, Eilis O’Sullivan Director Stefanie Sommer Light Karl Boerner Stage Manager Eilis O’Sullivan Voicecoach Ariana Pullano Organisation Helen Russell & Monika Volk as part of VETA Vienna English Theatre Academy
Photographs taken by Raffaela Pretting for VETA
