A journey to the stars
Departing from the specific characteristics of the astronomical observations and trying to give relevance to the morphological and patrimonial characteristics of the city of Coimbra, the performance occurred in two separate places: one higher, on top of a building in the upper part of the city, the other in a lower place, in Parque Verde, close to the river. The audience attended the performance in the lower place and observed what was going on in the upper place through images captured by telescopes and visible through their eyepieces or projected on a screen.
The distant relation observer/observed was intended to raise questions like the inaccessibility of the “true” knowledge of reality, the existence of intermediaries and the implications associated in the observations and transmission of knowledge, the relation between space and time and the way we relate them.
Attending the show in the lower place was free. Attending the show in the upper place, the roof of the Library of the University of Coimbra, cost 5000 euros and was restricted to one person.
+INFO
Ponte Pedonal Pedro e Inês | Coimbra
August 29th and 30th, September 5th, 6th, 13th, 19th, 20th and 22nd | 9:45pm
Age rating | 12+
Running time | 1h30
Playbill
This had a strong analogy with the space tourism activities. The buyers of the ticket to the performance/constellation would follow the ascending path of knowledge inside the library. Finally, they would stand on top of that knowledge, closer to the magnificent constellations which paint the starry sky (recently considered world heritage by UNESCO), and with the possibility to attend the show under unique conditions.
The original text, written during the process of construction of the performance, addresses recent astronomical issues in contrast with the myths traditionally associated with the constellations we can watch in the sky.
Look at the Distant. Look at Before. was presented in Coimbra on August 29th and 30th and on September 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th and 22nd, always at 9:45 p.m. It participated in the commemorations of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
Playwright and Direction Mário Montenegro
Discussion and Ideas Mário Montenegro, Alexandre, Anabela Fernandes, Pedro Andrade, Rui Simão, Rui Capitão, Francisco Queimadela, Mariana Caló
Cast Alexandre, Anabela Fernandes, Mário Montenegro
Set Design, Wardrobe and Image Pedro Andrade
Sound Design Rui Capitão
Lighting Design and Technical Direction Rui Simão
Video Francisco Queimadela, Mariana Caló
Stage Photography Francisca Moreira
Executive Production Cristiana Morais
With the Support of
DGArtes – Ministério da Cultura
Complexo Parque Verde, Mondego
Câmara Municipal de Coimbra
MAFIA – Federação Cultural de Coimbra
Ano Internacional da Astronomia – 2009
Ilídio Design Cabeleireiros
Rádio Universidade de Coimbra
Universidade de Coimbra
SAC
O Teatrão
Orquestra Clássica do Centro
Acknowledgement
Makro de Coimbra, Água Luso, TEUC, Extintel, A Escola da Noite, DGEEI – Eng. Mário Carvalhal, Eng. Filipe Noro, Eng. Fernando Martins, Observatório Astronómico – Dr. Claudino Romeiro, Planetário do Porto – Nelma Silva, Prof. Dr. Carlos Fiolhais, Dr. Maia do Amaral, Prof. Dra. Carlota Simões, Prof. Dr. João Fernandes, Pedro Feio, Carlos Oliveira, Francisco Moreira, Elísio Sousa, Livraria XM, Museu da Ciência da Universidade de Coimbra, Alpha Centauri, Jonathan Azevedo, Maria João Feio
