ICA is closed from the 30 May – 3 June inclusive.
Fri 1 Dec – Sun 17 Dec 2023
Each screening focuses on a different aspect of theatre creation, and will be accompanied by introductions, essays and a workshop.
On opening night, our curtains rise to present John Cassavetes’ Opening Night starring Gena Rowlands in one of her finest on-screen roles, concerned with legacy and fame. In the days leading up to opening night, an alcoholic actress is confronted with the realities of ageing while processing the death of an unknown young fan. Discussing themes of stardom, performance and feminism in the theatre, the film will be preceded by an introduction to the film and the season itself by curator Sam Smith.
This is followed by our second screening, Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Intimacies, which was conceived while the director was teaching at ENBU Seminar. This little seen work is presented in a three-parts combining elements of fiction and documentary. Observational techniques detail the pitfalls and tensions that arise during a production then, the play is shown in its entirety. The screening will be accompanied by a commissioned essay by Iana Murray on the role of theatre in Hamaguchi’s films.
Closing night will screen Josephine Decker’s Madeline’s Madeline, accompanied by a studio workshop run by Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo with an emphasis on body and movement in performance. Shirley director Josephine Decker’s sensory drama stars Helena Howard in a show stopping break out role that blurs the lines between performance and reality. Sixteen-year-old Madeline joins a physical theatre troupe, when the ambitious director pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother.
Curated by Sam Smith and presented in partnership with The National Film and Television School.
Programme
Friday 1 Dec, 6pm
A death and a play. In the days leading up to opening night, an alcoholic actress is confronted with the realities of ageing while processing the death of an unknown young fan.
Saturday 9 Dec, 12:10pm
Presented in a three-parts combining elements of fiction and documentary, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s first exploration of long duration centres upon students at a theatre school in Japan.
Sunday 17 Dec, 2:30pm
Sixteen-year-old Madeline has joined a New York City physical theatre troupe. When the ambitious director pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur.
no. 236848.