"Through seamless transitions, the piece navigates a space somewhere in the middle—or on the edge—of the night. Tall, transparent screens hang suspended on stage, serving as set elements and projection surfaces. Incorporating very inventive live video material, this original stage design greatly contributes to the aura of the performance, which captivates from beginning to end.” — Jérôme Provençal, Les Inrocktubiles
At its heart, The End – part 2 asks questions about togetherness, solidarity, and connection in today’s world. What does it mean to truly be present with one another? How do we see each other? How can the transparency of identity redefine the ways we belong?
Blending movement, music, light, and video, the performance delves into an amorphous and shifting realm of relationships: between the three performers, and between their queer male bodies and video projections. The lines between performer and audience, observer and observed, begin to blur. What emerges is a collection of short stories where energy, stillness, distortion, sensitivity, the digital, and the skin expose and amplify each other. As they reveal different facets of themselves, the performers dissolve physical boundaries—with contrasts, too, our experiences can become mirrored and shared.
The title The End – part 2 carries a sense of irony, hinting at closure yet suggesting a continuation. The work itself reflects this interplay, leaving room for open-endedness and multiple perspectives rather than proposing a fixed or singular construct. Each narrative thread weaves into the next, collectively exploring the fluid, ever-shifting nature of the human condition, and the ramifications of our social gaze.
Concept and creation: Arno Schuitemaker
Performers: Mark Christoph Klee, Ivan Ugrin, Angelo Petracca
Dramaturgy: Guy Cools
Lighting design: Jean Kalman
Music: Aart Strootman
Video: Gilbert Nouno
Costumes: Victor Klijsen
Set design: Jean Kalman and Arno Schuitemaker
Technical producer: Maarten van Burken
Video technician: Daan hazendonk
Technicians: Sander Schaart and Ruben Lijbers
Outside eye: Miguel A. Melgares
The movement material is created in collaboration with the performers.
The End - part 2 is a production by SHARP/ArnoSchuitemaker in coproduction with Montpellier Danse as part of the residency at Agora, International City of Dance, with the support of the BNP Paribas Foundation, Centre Chorégraphique National de Caen en Normandie, La Place de la Danse CDCN Toulouse - Occitanie. Supported by The Performing Arts Fund NL, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Ammodo, and Fonds21.