Eleonora Diana and Daniele Catalli were guests in Santiago, Chile from January 14 to 29 for a residency at Espacio Checoslovaquia to work on a new creation in the series Le Stanze Segrete di S.
During the two-week residency at Espacio Checoslovaquia, we worked on the creation of the new production Stanza N. 5 – J&H.
This project takes inspiration from the 1886 novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by R.L.Stevenson, to explore the theme of dualism present in the human psyche and in the everyday choices that influence our being and acting.
The residency focused on analyzing and representing the issues related to dualism in human beings.
We wanted to investigate how the surrounding environment, the dynamics of gender violence, and the individual’s sense of belonging influence a person’s choices and actions in the contemporary context.
As always in our work, we took an interdisciplinary approach involving the collaboration of a sound designer. During the work sessions, we experimented with improvisation techniques, exploration of lighting effects, sound research and dramaturgical work to develop the artistic material.
During this first phase of work on Stanza N. 5 – J&H, we took the creative process forward. We were able to outline the dramaturgical line of the project, define a detailed storyboard, develop the basic sound track and start work on the graphic technique.
The residency at Espacio Checoslovaquia played a key role in the initial phase of the project. As always, we adopted a site-specific approach, taking inspiration from the elements in our surroundings and the phenomena observed during our stay.
In conclusion, the residency proved to be a key building block for our new creative project. We particularly appreciated the cozy and familiar atmosphere created by the staff of the residency, which allowed us to work in a focused and distraction-free manner. At the end of our residency, we organized a public presentation to share the creative process behind our work, show a short excerpt of the performance in development, illustrate the techniques employed, and engage in dialogue with the audience and the organization.