Yves Degryse & Alva Ishii / BERLIN & NTGent - Sonder

A man talks to his deceased wife. The conversations are real. In a way. The performance ‘Sonder’ is a remarkably ambitious theater production that combines advanced technology with a profound reflection on what it means to be human and to meet others. The performance explores what loss, grief, and closeness mean today. The starting point is the project of photographer Kaat Pype, who, after the unexpected death of her mother, looked for a way to support her father. For this production, Yves Degryse and BERLIN are making a making-of about that process. Pype's father is on stage and engages in conversation with his deceased wife, in dialogues that are partly written and partly improvised. Gradually, it becomes clear that those conversations take on a special form: the role of the mother is played by Alva Ishii, the digital house artist of NTGent, created with artificial intelligence. Alva processes photos, videos, and memories and thus mimics the presence of the mother. Yet, ‘Sonder’ is not about technology itself, but about the question of what it means when someone continues to be part of our lives in new ways after death. An introduction is provided for this performance at 7:15 PM. concept: Yves Degryse, Alva Ishii, Kaat Pype script, direction: Yves Degryse, Alva Ishii with: Denis Pype (Dad), Lieve Fonteyne (Mom), Kaat Pype live music: Berlinde Deman dramaturgy: Matthias Velle artistic collaboration: Beyond The Spoken / Barbara Raes video: Geert De Vleesschauwer lighting: Dennis Diels set design: Manu Siebens styling: Marij de Brabandere music composition, soundscape: Peter Van Laerhoven digital imaging: Joni De Borger, Stijn Jansen co-production: La mac - Maison des arts de Créteil, Fondazione Romaeuropa Arte et Cultura, de singel, Wintercircus