International Theater Festival brings world theater to Memorial Hall

This week, Carolina Performing Arts launched a two-month foray into world theater with a sold-out performance of “Black Watch,” a critically acclaimed production from the National Theatre of Scotland.

The International Theater Festival, composed of four distinct performances, started Wednesday and runs through April 2. The plays explore themes ranging from the humanization of war to the creative retelling of classic fables.

Emil Kang, executive director for the arts, said that the choice to present the theatrical pieces in the context of a festival was made to highlight similarities in plays that may not be obviously related.

“One of the things we wanted was to try to show people how the seemingly disparate works and companies could be stitched together through this rubric, the festival,” Kang said.

“Black Watch” is the recent recipient of four Laurence Olivier awards. The company has sold out shows and received standing ovations from London to New York.

“It is one of the most lauded, exciting performances to come out of the UK in quite a while,” said Sean McKeithan, marketing and communications coordinator for Carolina Performing Arts.

Kang first saw “Black Watch” in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has since hoped the company could perform at Memorial Hall.

Andrew Learmonth, communications and events officer for the National Theatre of Scotland, said that it was a natural choice to honor Kang’s request.

“The venue is perfect, and it was the right time,” Learmonth said.
“It was meant to be, really.”

McKeithan said that the play, which explores a Scottish Regiment’s experience during the Iraq war, is as relevant today as when it debuted in 2006.

The production has sold out most of its performances this weekend.

March 1 brings Cirque Éloize’s “iD” — a contemporary circus performance from Canada that tells poignant stories about futuristic societies by implementing hip-hop, acrobatics and entrancing multimedia components.

The festival’s third performance will be Canadian Robert Lepage’s “The Andersen Project,” a one-man show loosely based on fables by Hans Christian Andersen.

McKeithan described the performance as gargantuan, amazing and ambitious.

“Robert Lepage is a magician,” McKeithan said. “He’s widely known around the international art scene as a multimedia master.”

The festival will conclude with “Woyzeck on the Highveld,” a re-imagination of George Büchner’s play, “Woyzeck,” told through the lens of South African apartheid.

For this production, the Handspring Puppet Company paired with renowned animation artist William Kentridge to produce a “dazzling display of multimedia,” McKeithan said.

The festival will also include informational sessions with actors, directors and others in the theater.

Like other events, Kang said that he hopes the festival will expand on his beliefs and mission as executive director for the arts.

“Art is not a commodity, but an experience to share,” Kang said.

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com