It's so awesome! ProFIdivadlo performed Smoke
On 15 May 2024, the stage of the magical Cabaret des Péchés in Brno was taken over by the theatre group proFIdivadlo (“proFItheatre”) with their adaptation of the iconic film Smoke.
Since its creation in 1998, this was the twenty-fifth premiere for the ensemble, which is based at the Faculty of Informatics of Masaryk University (FI MU) in Brno. The reprise and closing performance will take place on Friday 24 May at FI MU.
Photo: The opening night of Kouř, Cabaret des Péchés, 17 May 2024
The ensemble of the student theatre changes every year, but it always tries to surpass the bar it has set in previous years. "Doing a musical has always been our dream. It was a big challenge for the amateur theatre, made up mostly of students from computer science and other disciplines. That's why we decided to perform Smoke, which its authors called a 'rhythmical', i.e. a rhythmical musical," explains the director of the production, Jan Sádovský. This meant that the actors and actresses did not have to learn complex melodies, but the direction required a precise sense of rhythm, which is the basis of the play.
The film Smoke emerged in the late 1980s as a satire of late socialist limbo. But the students are convinced that the text by Tomáš Vorel and Lumír Tuček also speaks to today's social reality. "Among the script's distinctive motifs is the ever-present factory smoke that destroys the air and the health of the people in the small town where the story takes place. The main character, Mirek, tries to push through an air-cleaning project at his factory, but the corporate structures refuse to change anything because it might upset the plan and the established order. The parallel with the attitude of today's society towards the environment is clear to us," says producer Hana Kaspříková.
Compared to the cult film, the production differs, for example, in the music, which the students composed themselves and play live at the performances. The plot and dialogue are also different. "We are performing the production based on the original version of the script, which does not include some of the elements that eventually appeared in the film. Our dramatization also highlights different plot lines. The final distinction is the student rendition of the entire production. Our own live music and the almost fairytale-like concept of the props give the play energy even in the transitions between images, and the audience simply cannot rest," notes director Sádovský.
Photo: Arnoštek is just awesome!
The student ProFItheatre has been operating at the Faculty of Informatics of MU since 1998 and is therefore only four years younger than the faculty itself. This year the Faculty celebrates thirty years since its foundation - in 1994 it was established as the first independent Faculty of Informatics in the Czech Republic. The management of the faculty refers to the theatre there as a traditional one. "For students, participating in the proFIdivadlo is an opportunity to break out of the digital world and refresh their minds through art. It's a demonstration that technical prowess can go hand in hand with artistic creativity and social skills. Moreover, collaboration with students from different faculties and disciplines broadens horizons and strengthens team spirit," says Jiří Barnat, Dean of FI MU. In addition to computer science students, the theatre also includes students from the Faculty of Social Studies, the Faculty of Philosophy, Medicine, Law, Science, as well as faculties of Brno University of Technology and other universities.
Moreover, this year the theatre team has ventured beyond the traditional walls of the traditional stage. That's when, the day after the premiere, they danced for the staff and students of Masaryk University at the MUNI Day event. "DJ Arnoštek and his disco" didn't shy away from the rain and took all the passers-by for a spin. The Faculty of Informatics thus showed its face in an unexpected light. In the courses FI:VV074 Theatre Production Laboratory and FI:VV040 Theatre Play taught by assoc. prof. Josef Prokes, we expect a new wave of talent in the next year!
Photo: MUNI Day, 16 May 2024
You can see the next performance on Friday 24 May at 17:00 and 20:00 in the lecture hall D1 of the Faculty of Informatics of MU. More information can be found on the website https://kour.profidivadlo.cz/ and on the ensemble's social networks (IG: profidivadlo; FB: facebook.com/proFIdivadlo).
Authors:
Martin Veselý, PR proFIdivadlo, pr@profidivadlo.cz, +420775146255
Marta Vrlová, Office of External Relations and Partnerships at FI MU
Photo: FI MU
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