A review of the play "The Invisible" produced by the Working Stage Association and the Eighth Day Theatre in Poznan
Agata Korczyk
Is it worth going to a show where you won't see anything?
Concordia Design's team of consulting experts shares with you a review of the play "The Invisible," directed by Alena Hiranok, a Belarusian actress, produced by the Working Stage Association and the Eighth Day Theater in Poznan.
This is not a typical performance - it is an unusual polyphonic experience taking place in total darkness and in four languages. Sound intriguing? We encourage you to read on!
Agata Korczyk
"Sight is a collection of photoreceptors - this statement is striking from the outset, reducing sight to a crude, biological function of a physically healthy person... But does the lack of sight mean a limitation of life's possibilities? Does it mean despair and suffering?
The show "Invisible" sensitizes people to diversity and makes them realize that what is so simple for sighted people to the point of being unnoticeable, blind people perceive in an unusual, under-the-radar way that is inaccessible to sighted people or is a barrier to them. The performance, however, offers a chance to taste a pinch of this world. The performance is carried out in a very safe environment, where the lack of sight is compensated by other senses - smell and taste, touch. Initially, coping with total darkness was a big challenge for the participants, which they slowly managed to get used to and function with it together. The fact of such comfortable conditions is embarrassing, and stimulates reflection about sensitivity to the needs of blind people.
Amazing stories of people who lost their sight, regained it or never had it take the participant of the show through the whole range of emotions: from emotion, tears, anger, through feelings of hope, joy and finally soothing peace. Is it possible not to want to see? Is it possible to see with the help of smells? This is what you will find out by experiencing "Invisible". I, for one, will never look at the world around me the same way again."
Katarzyna Andrzejczyk-Briks
"The performance at the Eighth Day Theater was a very interesting experience for me.
The entire performance took place in the dark. It was a challenge for me to wear goggles for that time, which prevented me from seeing anything. I had to trust the actors who brought me into the auditorium and the audience around me.
I had to learn to listen for sounds, to move around the room in the dark.
After a while of getting used to it, I felt comfortable in the dark. I felt that it allowed me to focus better and engage my other senses.
The voices of the actors who told the story of how they lost their eyesight evoked many emotions in me. Despite the darkness, I "saw" them, imagined the places they talked about and felt the emotions.
There were moments that grabbed me by the throat, moments of almost animal fear that such an experience could befall me too, but also moments of sympathetic joy and relief. I rejoiced like a child when I recognized the smell of coffee, or the shape of a figurine, or the voice of a friend who was sitting next to me. I felt that my other senses were helping me cope in the dark.
I will definitely remember that moment of the performance when, guided by the voice of the narrator, we formed a circle. We held hands and moved in imitation of the movement of other people. I felt the joy of being able to read the rhythm and move despite the lack of sight and being like one organism.
It gave me a sense of community in the experience.
It is certainly impossible to fully understand the world of the blind through this experience, as we knew that after the performance we would take off our goggles and walk out onto the sun-drenched street. However, it is possible to experience their stories more powerfully and intensely and touch our own emotions, thanks to the fact that we will enter the world of darkness for a while."
Elizabeth Koza
"The performance "Invisible", is an amazing event that allows you to move to a world where light does not exist. It treats the lives of blind people who have not seen since birth, who have lost their sight as a result of various life situations, or who have regained their sight. For sighted people, this is an unusual event, as it is carried out in complete darkness. It also allows them to experience the world of darkness in a physical way.
What is fascinating is that already into the room where the performance takes place, the actors introduce the audience. The audience is blindfolded, nothing can be seen - only darkness. We move into the everyday life of blind people. We can experience with all our senses, except for sight. The performance engages the audience, which gets out of its comfort zone by surrendering to the interactions proposed by the actors. We have the opportunity to experience a small fraction of the world through touch, smell, hearing, which are incredibly sharpened in the atmosphere of total darkness. The actors move us between the stories of the characters, pointing out the difficulties, limitations, but also the beauty of their world.
The event as a whole is very sensitive to the topic of accessibility. It talks about the importance of knowing the needs and point of view of the other party. It sensitizes us to the challenges that blind people face on a daily basis.
This performance is a mixture of emotions from the uncertainty caused by the blindfolded eyes and omnipresent darkness, concern for the other person, sadness as we learn the story of some of the characters, and joy and gratitude, which come especially at the end when we can take off the blindfolds and see again - see completely anew. I recommend this event to any person who wants to experience a completely different perspective of learning about the world, which is faced by people who live right next to us. I believe that through such experiences we will become even more attentive to the needs of others."
