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PRESS RELEASE / THE FATE OF MATHEMATICAL GENIUS ALAN TURING, EXCLUSIVELY AT THE MEZIPATRA FESTIVAL

25.10. 2017

The writings of mathematical genius Alan Turing meet Guillaume Apollinaire’s play The Breasts of Tiresias, which turns 100 this year, in an original queer performance by Chicago’s Anatomical Theatres of Mixed Reality (ATOM-r). This internationally award-winning ensemble, which includes past members of the iconic performance group Goat Island, combines art with new technologies while experimenting with virtual or augmented reality. As part the Mezipatra Festival, audiences will be treated to an exclusive performance of Kjell Theøry (8pm, Tuesday 7 November) at the Venuše ve Švehlovce theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at GoOut.

During the Second World War, Alan Turing deciphered the Enigma code. After the war he was convicted of homosexuality and sentenced to chemical castration, which caused him to grow breasts. He traveled to Norway in search of tolerance, where he worked on his theory of morphogenesis, which he named after his Norwegian love interest, Kjell. In Kjell Theøry, Chicago’s ATOM-r combines the life of the famous mathematician with the world’s first Surrealist play, Apollinaire’sThe Breasts of Tiresias (1917).

“We have succeeded in bringing to Prague an outstanding performance that not only takes an original look at the life of mathematical genius Alan Turing, but that also makes innovative use of augmented reality as an artistic tool. Audiences can thus look forward to elements of a Cornish May Day festival and neo-pagan rituals of fertility, all in a poetic choreography that – like the mythical Tiresias – transcends the boundaries of worlds and genders,” says Ewan McLaren, artistic director of the Alfred ve dvoře Theatre, which is bringing the performance to the Czech Republic.

Acclaimed American performance ensemble ATOM-r (Anatomical Theatres of Mixed Reality) was founded in 2012 by Judd Morrissey and Mark Jeffery, former members of the legendary Goat Island Performance Group. ATOM-r explores forensics, anatomy, and 21st-century embodiment through live performance, language, and new technology. Besides presenting their performance of Kjell Theøry, they will also lead a performance workshop on the subject of combining virtual reality with movement through the use of smartphones. The workshop will take place on Wednesday 8 November from 10am to 2pm at the Venuše ve Švehlovce Theatre. Discounted tickets for the workshop and the performance can be purchased via GoOut.

KjellTheøryis presented by Motus/Alfred ve dvoře in collaboration with Venuše ve Švehlovce and with support from the Trust for Mutual Understanding.

7 Nov., 8pm, Venuše ve Švehlovce
admission: CZK 250 / CZK 150 (tickets via GoOut)

Core ATOM-r members:
Choreography: Mark Jeffery
Writing and technology: Judd Morrissey
Performers: Justin Deschamps and Christopher Knowlton

Collaborators:
Costumes: Grace DuVal
Objects: Elena Ailes, Claire Ashley, Laura Prieto-Velasco, Stephen Reynolds, Bryan Saner, Oli Watt
Performance: Leonardo Kaplan
Research assistant: Mev Luna
Sound: Joshua Patterson
Lighting: Josh Hoglund
Graphic design: Javier Lopez
Video: Julia Pello

Website: atom-r.com, atom-r.tumblr.com
Trailer: vimeo.com
Premiere: January 2017, The Graham Foundation for the Applied Arts

KjellTheøry was developed through residencies at the following institutions: International Museum of Surgical Science; The Graham Foundation for the Applied Arts; National Museum of Health and Medicine, Chicago; Chicago Cultural Center; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; University of Chichester Dance Department; and the Helsinki Theatre Academy (TeaK).