Arno Schuitemaker

Work

After After

"Set to a new composition by Aart Strootman and an exquisite lighting design by Jean Kalman, Arno Schuitemaker once again proves with After After that he is a master of transformation." — Critic's choice (Theaterkrant)

After After presents a world in transition. Arno Schuitemaker draws inspiration from a question by one of today's most relevant and influential philosophers, Federico Campagna: ‘How can we help the creation of new worlds out of the ruins of our own?’ Embedded within this lies the recognition that throughout the cycles of history, each civilization has reached a climax, only to fall apart.

With eyes on the nearing expiration of western modernity — marked by the intensification and acceleration of extraction in all forms (economic, environmental, cultural) — we are faced with pressing questions: what if our world is beyond its culmination point? What could arise next? What will we choose to forge? Centering on the strength of human interdependence and reinvention, After After delves into a speculative exploration of how a new world could find its way, acknowledging that a world doesn’t simply exist; it must be embodied, nurtured, and sustained through song and story.

In search of their voices and ways of moving, from one extreme to the other, the diverse cast of seven dancers becomes a living symbol of a shifting community. With a white canvas laid at their feet, they create a vibrant playground for reorganizing their relationships and connection to the rhythm of time, (re)claiming their agency and collective power.

Tender, transcendent, even a bit rebellious, After After is an ode to the attempt. The performance unfolds a physical score that embraces its own end: it dies from within, then surges back to life in a burst of energy — a fiery dance at the crossroads of time.

Press
Recent Japanese studies show that watching sports is good for mental health. They should measure the effect of After After: plenty of space and energy flowing through your body as a spectator (…) It’s exhilarating to be part of that. — De Groene Amsterdammer

After After hypnotizes. — Het Parool

Find the performance dates and credits by scrolling down.

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Photo: Peteris Viksna

Calendar

Credits

Creation: Arno Schuitemaker
Performers: Jim Buskens, Camilla Bundel, Ashley Ho, Frederik Kaijser, Orla McCarthy, Angelo Petracca and Paolo Yao
Dramaturgy: Miguel A. Melgares
Music: Aart Strootman
Light design: Jean Kalman
Scenography: Jean Kalman, Arno Schuitemaker
Costumes: SADAK
Technical production: Vincent Beune, Ruben Lijbers, Sander Schaart
Rehearsal assistant: Mark Christoph Klee
Vocal coach: Maria Magdalena Kozłowska
Production: Björn van Raaij, Lynn Gommes
Publicity: Jannes Heidinga
Photos: Peteris Viksna

The movement material is created in collaboration with the performers.

After After is a production of SHARP/ArnoSchuitemaker and is supported by Fonds Podiumkunsten, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Ammodo, Fonds 21, and BNG Cultuurfonds. With many thanks to Julidans/ITA.

After After: "Masterful", Critic's choice Theaterkrant →