Press > Press Release 05-19-06 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Caravan Stage Theatre Ship Returns to Rotterdam To Open 2006 Tour ROTTERDAM, NL, May 18, 2006 – On June 9, 2006, the Caravan Stage Theatre Company is set to perform a new adaptation of its contemporary production, Vanishing Currents, on a 28-meter custom-built theatre ship at Het Havenmuseum. The Caravan ship (Amara Zee) doubles as a self-contained theatre venue – complete with its own sound and lighting equipment – and as lodging and transportation for an 18-member cast of actors, dancers and aerial artists. Built in Canada and modeled after a 1900s Thames River barge, the Amara Zee combines the best of present-day marine design and theatre technology. With a powerful musical score and dramatic lighting effects, audiences can expect a night of fantasy and magic. Locked in their cells on the prison ship, actors lament in poetry and song, while dancers fly from the ship’s rigging, bouncing off the masts to a suspended bridge high above the deck. The show is a visually stunning exploration of the intolerance and injustice experienced by many migrants seeking a “land of promise” in the western, industrialized world. The Caravan, a Canadian non-profit organization, has been touring original, avant-garde theatre throughout North America since the 1970s, initially as a horse-drawn wagon troupe. “People thought we were out of our minds when we dreamt up the idea of a floating stage in the early 90s,” says founder and director Paul Kirby. The dream became a reality in 1997 through the support of over 700 companies who supplied the materials. The Amara Zee is the first Thames barge ever built off the shores of England. In May 2005, the Caravan ship was transported to Europe to begin a three-year European Waters tour. Although the troupe performed an earlier version of Vanishing Currents in Rotterdam last year, the production has been significantly changed to suit a European audience. The show will run for two nights consecutively beginning at 21:15. The performances are free to the general public, with a suggested minimum donation of seven euros. -30-
EVENT INFORMATION Caravan Stage Company presents Vanishing Currents: Date: June 9 and 10, 2006 Location: Het Havenmuseum Leuvehaven 50-72 3011 EA Rotterdam Time: 21:15 – 23:00 Additional Information: Parking is limited. We recommend use of public transportation. Performances are weather permitting. Seating will be provided on the quayside next to the Maritiem Museum. Press > Press Release 05-19-06 |