HOW IS ENCOUNTER SEEN BY THE STUDENTS OF THE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN PRAGUE

A second or third-year student of the Department of Theory and Criticism sits in the safety of her home and watches a pre-recorded performance. She is missing a discussion after play over a glass of wine in a theatre bar. (Intimate personal discussion misses the most). And during an imaginary journey between the Balkans, Switzerland or Austria, mediated by invisible waves of the Internet connection, she nostalgically recalls moments when everything was completely different.

Lack of real applause, noises in the auditorium, pushing crowd in front of the theatre to get few last available tickets or go home defeated. This year’s ENCOUNTER jumps into the cold waters of online space and we let ourselves be swept by the current. Together, we discover new dimensions of the audience, communication as also as public space that hosts this festival. We are interested in how participation in the festival changes when we do not have the opportunity to participate in it physically and experience (not only) common theatre co-existence.

ENCOUNTER tries to overcome all obstacles and struggles with honour and pride. It is unique, colourful, looking for unexplored ways to get closer to a potential audience…Behind all those encouraging words, however, remains an unattractive reality – just a glowing monitor and me, a lone spectator.

Klára Hauserová

Dana Hlaváčová

Natálie Bulvasová

Zdeňka Horváthová