Philoctetes’ Journey. The Return

One of the exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is a Greek vase depicting Philoctetes abandoned by his companions and holding his bandaged heel. Not so long ago, he led ships to Troy, and now, bitten by a snake, he loses his mobility and social status.

The figure of the ancient hero is the creators’ point of departure for telling modern stories that are simulations of Philoctetes’ experiences. We arrive at a bar in Sydney, where a young man is embraced by a woman he doesn’t know. This moment marks the beginning of “purely platonic services” that are now spread across the world. We land in the flat of Laura Winham, where she died of starvation, or in an aging Mercedes car, just as the young woman inside it falls ill with an unknown chronic disease that becomes a turning point in her life.

How do you navigate the loss of agency and prestige?  How do you deal with loneliness and weakness while not viewing them as punishment or guilt, but as part of the human experience?  The show’s creators encourage us to take a contrary approach to “success” and to speak out about the fragile, as well as the things which can become the source of strength and lead to building relationships based on empathy, care, solidarity, and courage. After all, these are our most important assets in a time of uncertainty.

Philoctetes’ journey. The Return is a coproduction of TR Warszawa and Teatr 21. This is our second journey together, after the well-received Family, and like the first one, it is full of hope, deep reflection, and humour.

The performance includes partial nudity, profanity, smoke effects, flashing lights, and voluntary audience interaction.

Centrum Sztuki Włączającej / Teatr 21 is a Community Cultural Institution whose activities are cofounded by the Warsaw City Council.

Co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage

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