MEA CULPA
Concept, director, scenography : Charles N. Tiendrebéogo (BF)
Artistic Supervisor: Pavel Štourač (CZ)
Dramaturgy: Charles N. Tiendrebéogo (BF), Pavel Štourač (CZ)
Masks: Collette Roy (CH)
Expert collaboration on masks: Erhard Stiefel (CH)
Artistic collaboration: Anna Kuch (DE)
Music: Elia Moretti (IT)
Light design: Jiří Šmirk (CZ)
Production: Petr Hromek (CZ), ART Prometheus (CZ)
Coproduction: Accademia Teatro Dimitri (CH), Plum Yard (CZ)
Cast: Charles N. Tiendrebéogo (BF)
Physical and mask theatre performance; languages: English or French; duration: 50 min.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project draws inspiration from the roots of African culture, its rituals, music, stories, rhythms, colours and ubiquitous spirituality, combining original natural religions and imported world religious systems. In this context, Charles Nomwendé Tiendrebéogo tells the modern history of Africa, intertwined with bloodshed, genocide, corruption and the bloody struggle for power.
STORY
When they were still living on this earth, these ghosts were very influential people, guided by excessive ambitions. What then would justice be, and how could they deserve eternal rest, if everything that happens, everything that still harms the living beings on earth and for which these ghosts are responsible, is not repaired?
From decision to action, present to past, life to death – to which musical rhythm will our soul dance to in the beyond? During one ordinary night the guardian of a cemetery is forced to lend his body to these invisible beings, who must reverse their destiny of eternal damnation and try to redeem themselves.
Mea Culpa is the author’s project of Charles Nomwendé Tiendrebéogo, from Burkina Faso. He was a Physical Theater student at the Accademia Teatro Dimitri under the tutorship of Pavel Štourač, director of ContinuoTheater.
The project is based on Charles Nomwendé Tiendrebéogo’s long-term interest on the link between the tradition of the African mask, contemporary physical theatre, and modern dance.
The music and sound composition are the work of Elia Moretti, who created the score based on real sound recordings from the daily reality of the city and nature in Burkina Faso.