Two young alpha male animals in a breathless competition for attention: chest out, shoulders broad, feathers spread! The right mating call must be found and the most beautiful costume created from colorful plastic waste, but above all the best dance must be danced – the survival of the gene pool depends on it. The pressure to impress is high, and the audience would have to decide whether the two birds of paradise have what it takes or whether their moves will be erased forever. BIRDS OF PARADISE uses the surreal mating behavior of male birds of paradise as a comedic lens to reflect human competition for representation, the fast-fashion craze, and the associated waste of natural resources. The two protagonists scrutinize our human staging practices and, in doing so, critically and humorously deconstruct the extent to which our identity is shaped by our external image.
After a preview in Athens in November 2022, BIRDS OF PARADISE had its premiere and additional performances (including a version for children) over the turn of the year 2022/23 at the Uferstudios in Berlin, where it delighted audiences and critics (RBB Kultur – https://www.lunapark.works/kritik-birds-of-paradise/). In June 2024, LUNA PARK presented BIRDS OF PARADISE for the first time open-air, as part of the programme of the ZUKUNFT JETZT! festival, organized by Kanaltheater Eberswalde in Rofinpark.
From December 18 to 21, 2024, BIRDS OF PARADISE will be performed again at the Uferstudios, on December 18 and 19 in the version for children.
Cast & Crew
Choreography and concept: Aaron Carey-Burrows
Performance: Caspar Sebastian Stuart Ilschner (Cecilia Castellari), Aaron Carey-Burrows (Marco Rizzi)
Artistic direction and curatorial advising: Kosmas Kosmopoulos
Original music: Antonios Palaskas
Stage design: Maria Salouvardou, Aaron Carey-Burrows
Technical direction and lighting design: Sanja Gergoric, Andreas Harder
Text and dramaturgical advising: Kai Pichmann
Production management and communication: Fee Josten, Carmen Maria Jentzsch
Photography and documentation: Giovanni Lo Curto
Performances
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 11:00 am (Kids friendly Version)
Thursday, December 19, 2024, 11:00 am (Kids friendly Version)
Friday, December 20, 2024, 07:00 pm
Saturday, December 21, 2024, 07:00 pm
_ Uferstudios (Studio 1), Badstr. 41a, 13357 Berlin
Saturday, June 29, 2024, 20:00 pm
_ Rofinpark (Open-air version at the ZUKUNFT JETZT! Festival of the Kanaltheater Eberswalde, Stage design: Keren Korman)
Tuesday, December 20, 2022, 11:00 am (Kids friendly Version)
Wednesday, December 21, 2022, 11:00 am (Kids friendly Version)
Thursday, December 22, 2022, 7:00 pm (Premiere)
Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 7:00 pm
Thursday, January 12, 2023, 7:00 pm
Friday, January 13, 2023, 7:00 pm
_ Uferstudios (Studio 1), Badstr. 41a, 13357 Berlin
Preview
Thursday, November 03, 2022, 9:00 pm
Friday, November 04, 2022, 9:00 pm
_ PLYFA, Korytsas 39, Votanikos, Athens
Tickets (for the performances in December 2024)
_ Tickets (15,00 € | 10,00 € reduced) for the evening performances available at the box office and soon at RESERVIX
Reservation for children’s performance assistenz@lunapark.works (free entry, donation welcome.)
Production and Support
BIRDS OF PARADISE is a production by Initiative LUNA PARK e.V., Aaron Carey-Burrows and Kosmas Kosmopoulos in cooperation with the Gesundbrunnen Elementary School, supported in the frame of the project „tanz(t)räume“ funded by TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund (DANCE PACT Local-Regional-National) and the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa (Senate Department for Culture and Europe).
For the development of the piece LUNA PARK is collaborating with the Australian choreographer Aaron Carey-Burrows, who has been living and working in Berlin for the past five years after graduating from LINK Dance Company and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (2017). In addition to his collaboration with LUNA PARK for several productions, he works for the Ballet of the German Opera, the German Theater and the choreographer Sebastian Matthias, among others.
