Performance
★★★★☆ four stars
Wed 23 Mar 2022herman
★★★★☆ four stars is a meta-theater performance in which collective herman introduce themselves to the audience through a mockumentary. During the performance, the four stars sit on the sidelines to watch the film they made themselves together with their audience. In the film you see how herman examines the struggle with ego and the addictive nature it evokes. In a quick paced montage and various dynamic scenes, herman depicts the individual struggle that each person, consciously or unconsciously, experiences with their ego.
In ★★★★☆ four stars, herman gets to work radically with Franny and Zooey by Jerome David Salinger. Thanks to the collective, this novella is finally elevated to new heights. Salinger had certainly admired this dramatic exploration of his work.
By dealing with the theme 'ego', herman consciously situates itself in a time where self-marketing and self-assertion quickly take over. The struggle with ego is inescapable, and in today's capitalist society it becomes a prominent fact: from social media where the 'I' is assigned a market value, to artists who increasingly have to profile themselves as entrepreneurs by focusing on sales and image, to world leaders who make decisions based on protecting their own ego. How do you deal with this as a participant of a society and as an artist? Is it possible to escape this struggle? And is it possible to address this struggle individually or is collective change needed?
By dealing with the theme 'ego', herman consciously situates itself in a time where self-marketing and self-assertion quickly take over. The struggle with ego is inescapable, and in today's capitalist society it becomes a prominent fact: from social media where the 'I' is assigned a market value, to artists who increasingly have to profile themselves as entrepreneurs by focusing on sales and image, to world leaders who make decisions based on protecting their own ego. How do you deal with this as a participant of a society and as an artist? Is it possible to escape this struggle? And is it possible to address this struggle individually or is collective change needed?
Pure ego trip with a mission. (****Focus Knack)
Four stars is funny, smart, embarrassing, intriguing, confrontational, and usually all those things at the same time. (Etcetera)
Four stars is funny, smart, embarrassing, intriguing, confrontational, and usually all those things at the same time. (Etcetera)
About herman
herman is an Antwerp theater collective of five actors/makers that consists of the generation of graduates of the Antwerp Conservatory of 2019: Kenneth Cardon, Lois Lumonga Brochez, Daantje Idelenburg, Sara Lâm and Milan Vandierendonck.
Credits
concept herman | actors Kenneth Cardon, Lois Lumonga Brochez, Milan Vandierendonck, Sara Lâm | music Alan Van Rompuy (A z e r t y klavierwerke) | final director Anne-Laure Vandeputte | technique Hanne Dick | co-production Monty Kultuurfaktorij | with thanks to Matterhorn, Tine Van Aerschot | with the support of the City of Antwerp
Fun Fact
Our exhibition ‘Hello there, I just wanted to ask how you’re doing’ is open for a visit from 2-10 pm during every activity that’s planned in Pilar Box. Feel free to treat us with a little visit!