THE BREAKUP

Does water help me wash away the hormones of love?

Two people meet. The spark is instant. Estrogen surges, blood rushes to their sexual organs. Adrenaline floods their bodies, a burning flush radiates across their chests. They kiss. Dopamine kicks in and drowns them in euphoria. Twenty seconds later, oxytocin takes over, binding them in an emotional grip. Within minutes, serotonin plummets and suddenly they think obsessively about each other. Without a word, they drift apart. It will take 30 minutes for the high to start slipping away. They can physically feel love evacuating their cells.

A handful of people will watch this raw expressions of love and its evident end. Each of them will leave "marked."

The Breakup is rooted in the language of long-distance relationships, offering the audience a sublimation tool to process their own experiences of separation. For this performance, each artist has drawn deeply from their personal archive of visceral romantic obsessions, inviting the audience to contribute their own.

What you will need to bring: A smartphone with an active internet connection.
Performance language: English
Duration of the performance: 45 minutes.
Please note: Capacity for this show is extremely limited. We strongly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

About us:
Ioana Păun is a theatre and film director focused on human behavior in challenging situations. Recently, she has collaborated with institutions like le phénix scène nationale, Theatre les Tanneurs, CNDB, MuseumsQuartier and Ashtar Theatre in Palestine. She led a 4 year program at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, supporting emerging Romanian actors. Her debut film Emilia Hosu has HIV won awards at Ljubljana FEKK and TIFF.
ioanapaun.com

Matěj Sýkora is a Theater and film scenographer, performer, developing an imaginative and playfully postmodern creation. He belongs to the authors collective D'epog and Lucia Repašská, he regularly collaborates with Jan Kačena, as well as with Peter Gonda or Vojtěch Bárta.

Bogdan Răileanu is a contemporary Romanian writer known for his sharp social commentary and exploration of modern urban life. He has gained recognition through awards including the Young Prose Writers Award and his book The Sharp Teeth of Good was shortlisted for Festival du premier roman de la Chambéry.

Andreea Opritescu is a film producer and art historian, focusing her interest in developing projects in Southern Italy for Assedio Film. Their productions have been presented in over 50 countries and at more than 200 festivals.
www.assediofilm.it

Team:
Producer: Andreea Oprițescu | Director: Ioana Păun | Text: Bogdan Răileanu | Set Design: Matěj Sýkora | Performers: Ana Pop, Silvana Mihai, Marta Blašková, Bianca Temneanu | Communication: Evantia Barca | Online Communication: Laura Ștefănuț | Graphics: Alice Voinea

Slovak and Czech tour:
11 September - Záhrada Center for Independent Culture, Banská Bystrica (SK)
12 September - bod.K7, Nitra (SK)
16 September - Káznice, Brno (CZ)
18 September - Galéria Miloša Alexandra Bazovského, Trenčín (SK)
20 September - P*AKT, Bratislava (SK)

Romania:
27 October - Greenhouses of the Botanical Garden
9, 13, 15 November - Mobius Amzei
More dates TBA


Funding:

This project is co-financed by the Romanian Cultural Institute through the Cantemir Programme - a funding framework for cultural projects intended for the international environment. The Romanian Cultural Institute cannot be held responsible for the content of this material.
The Breakup is a cultural project co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. This project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how its results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.