Nature Theater of Oklahoma
Pizza or A Door in the Dark does not Dance
New York
The great New York theatre company returns to the Landiwiese – with line dance, offbeat humour and... pizza! Things start out innocently enough at the party, but when Linda reveals that she is suffering from a mysterious illness and then vanishes, her supposed death opens a door to another world. In this «chamber opera» with impossible choreographies, musical and melodramatic escapades, everyone gets a delicious slice of pizza. At least one. Maybe even two. What more could you want?
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This time, it’s pizza. And the meaning of life. The Nature Theater of Oklahoma never ceases to surprise: at the festival, they have previously presented a climate opera set on a remote island, following an earlier Western opera in which happiness was sought in a saloon. The New York avantgarde company is as well known for its radical approach as it is for its humour.
This time, both are put to work in a setting that combines a gym hall and a party space, where the wait is not only for pizza, but also for the meaning of life. The former arrives over the course of the evening; the latter remains, as ever, uncertain. There is plenty of singing and dancing about all this, performed by virtuoso performers from the US and Austria alongside a Zurich choir. The evening moves between chamber opera and musical. As always, the text is finely crafted, often drawing on «found footage» from telephone conversations – this time perhaps involving Richard Foreman, the legendary figure of New York theatre. Most of the world’s essential questions are raised.
And even if some moments may feel distinctly dadaist, the piece is also reflective, at times moving, and by the time of the nearly hour-long final sequence of dance and song, undeniably overwhelming.
Dates and Tickets
shows from today- Fr 28.08. 19:00 - 20:40 CHF 45.–/25.– Quota of tickets available at the box office
- Sa 29.08. 21:00 - 22:40 CHF 45.–/25.– Quota of tickets available at the box office
- Su 30.08. 19:00 - 20:40 CHF 45.–/25.– Quota of tickets available at the box office
Accessibility
Audio description
Sat 29. and Sun 30.8.
Easy to read
The well-known theatre company «Nature Theater of Oklahoma» from New York returns to the Landiwiese. They bring line dancing, unusual humour and pizza. Line dancing is a style of dance in which people dance in rows. It can look very funny. The piece tells the story of a pizza party. At first, everything seems normal and cheerful. Then something unexpected happens. A woman called Linda says that she has a mysterious illness. After that, she disappears from the party. Many people believe that she has died. Her death becomes a kind of gateway to another world.
This piece is a chamber opera. That means it is a small opera with music and theatre. There are many dance scenes, plenty of drama and big emotions. Everyone receives at least one slice of pizza, including the audience.
Sensory Note
The performance contains theatrical smoke.
Artistic direction and cast
| Konzept, Text & Regie | Pavol Liska, Kelly Copper |
|---|---|
| Performance | Gabel Eiben, Robert M. Johanson, Tobias Kerschbaumer, Bence Mezei, Jula Zangger, Roger sowie ein lokaler Laienchor |
| Originalmusik | Robert M Johanson feat. Bernhard Fleischmann |
| Bühnenbild, Lichtdesign & Produktionsleitung | Luka Curk |
| Licht- & Tontechnik | Leon Curk |
| Dance Captain | Bence Mezei |
| Übersetzung | Ulrich Blumenbach |
| Operator | Kelly Copper |
| Foto | Nature Theater of Oklahoma |
Production
| Produktion | Nature Theater of Oklahoma, GOLD & PECH Theater |
|---|---|
| Koproduktion | Zürcher Theater Spektakel |
| Unterstützung | Bundesministerium für Kunst und Kultur Österreich, Land Steiermark |
| Premiere | 14. Dezember 2025, GOLD & PECH Theater, Höf, Österreich |
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Offbeat-virtuosic search for meaning. Between chamber opera & musical theatre, death & pizza
Swiss Première
Duration
100 min.
Language
English
Surtitles
German
Age
14 years plus