mala voadora
with the participation of the community of Pergine
ideation of the manual and direction by Jorge Andrade
with the assistance of Maria Jorge
text Pablo Gisbert
set design and props José Capela
images António MV
lighting design Rui Monteiro 

To be happy requires a lot of work! 

A Manual on Work and Happiness is a theatrical performance based on an “instruction manual” – staged thanks to the participation of active citizens – actors for the occasion, who have followed an intense creative process during an artistic residence with the Portuguese company mala voadora. 

A group of people, following an instruction manual, creates a performance. Methodically, they set up landscapes of different parts of the world. They work. They collaborate and interact to fulfil their tasks. The creation of a performance can be fun but it takes a lot of work. It is tiring. To entertain themselves and the audience, while working, they tell stories. And they explore what work will be in the future: who will do it, how it will be done, for whom… In the breaks, they get together for a dinner around the table. A celebration. A man comes out from the landscapes, he addresses the group, and talks about life and the possibility of being happy. Everyone listens to him and then they go back to work. 

Coproduction: Artemrede (Portugal), Pergine Spettacolo Aperto (Italy), L’arboreto -Teatro Dimora (Italy), Regional and Municipal Theatre of Patras (Greece)
Co-financed by Creative Europe of the European Union 

#theatre #participation #contemporarydramaturgy