The story begins at dinner. In Vietnam, the youngest member of the family invites the others to the table: 'Cháu mời ông bà, các bác, cô chú, anh chị và tất cả mọi người ăn cơm'.  

What do we cook at home? How does Czech and Vietnamese cuisine taste? What is rare and what is absolutely ordinary? What do we have in common?   

Over dinner, Thang, Diana, Týna and Tam seek common ground about the experience of living at the intersection of Vietnamese and Czech society, about growing up and adulthood, about the customs of their community and about their own life choices.   

The authentic stories of the performers are intertwined with moving image, sound and action in an open laboratory. The audience enters an unconventionally arranged theatre hall defined by a moving projection screen, sound system, several mobile lights and a television screen.  

On the stage-laboratory, the performers pose questions focused on the inner contradictions of man, the formation of one's own identity, and ways of expressing defiance and gratitude to the older generation.  

The production Everyone Has Two Wolves in Him was created as a residency project of the Archa Theatre for young emerging artists during a year-long collaboration between the author of the project, Hana Kokšalová, and representatives of the second generation of Vietnamese living in the Czech Republic. Archa Theatre launched an open call for those with Vietnamese roots who would like to engage in the creative process and share their personal stories using the tools of documentary theatre. The selected group, whose members had no previous knowledge or experience of theatre-making, went through a series of workshops led by theatre professionals. The young people gradually experienced the possibilities of artistic expression, which resulted in an original and exciting stage form.   

The performance will be followed by a theatre workshop with the artists, during which the audience will be able to try out the principles of the creative process.

Reviews:

→ O čem sní, po čem touží a co už nikdy nechtějí zažít banánové děti –  Irena Jirků, HN.cz Víkend, 28. 4 2023 

Credits

Directed by: Hana Kokšalová  
Dramaturgy: Jana Svobodová  
Lighting design: Pavel Kotlík  
Video: Martin Krupa   
Production: Romana Sekáčová, Zuzana Lapšanská   
Cast: Thang Ngo Xuan, Tam, Thu Phuong Tran and from the screen Bich Thuy Doan.  
Worshop tutors: Martin Krupa, Martin Marek, Pavel Kotlík, Laura Fiľáková  
Special thanks to: Jana Mac

Premieres: 27 February and 2 March 2023, Archa Theatre, Prague 

Residency project of the Archa Theatre aimed at supporting young emerging artists, supported by EEA and Norway Grants.

The AKCENT festival 2023 is funded by the City of Prague, the Ministry of Culture and the State Fund of Culture.

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