Bliss/Štěpita: Flotsam and Jetsam

Flotsam and Jetsam are originally nautical terms for objects, debris, and debris that ships have lost at sea for various reasons. Flotsam refers to items that a ship has accidentally lost during a voyage, while jetsam refers to things that the crew intentionally threw overboard to lighten the ship in distress.

Anything can get lost: a pen, a watch, the first tooth that falls out, enthusiasm for work, friends from elementary school. Even me. I can get lost too. And also memories of the first visit to McDonald's, song lyrics or even GPS navigation. Other things, on the other hand, cannot be gotten rid of, even if they weigh us down and drag us down. What will I find there?

Two men, or two boys, lost in the middle of a sea of balls. An infinity of possibilities on the horizon. The ebb and flow of the tide. A transatlantic flight. A new land. Longing for the ocean. A fear of heights. A fear of depths. A sister who is irrelevant in all of this. And then the thing.

A physical exploration of friendship. Juggling words and relationships.

I lost nothing, and therefore I found nothing.

We can get lost at sea, or just sail aimlessly.

The performance may contain traces of English, Czech, Slovak, and crustaceans.

Authors/performers: Lukas Bliss, Andrej Štěpita

Dramaturgy: Roman Poliak

Sound design: David Herzig

Scenography: Karolína Konvička Srpková

Light design: Judita Mejstríková

Project supervision: Filip Zahradnický

Production: Cink Cink Cirk, Jana Ada Kubíčková

Special thanks to: Lucie Kašiarová, Šárka Maršíková, Aleš Hrdličková, Natália Rajnišová

Supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, State Culture Fund of the Czech Republic, CIRQUEON - Center for New Circus, Studio ALTA, REZI.dance Komařice, Theater Studio Tanca, Tanečno, DanceConnected

The premiere of Flotsam and Jetsam is presented in collaboration with DanceConnected and the CIRKOPOLIS festival.

Lukas Bliss studied at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts (HAMU) and has been consistently active on the domestic dance, theater and circus scene ever since. His interdisciplinary approach allows him to combine various creative practices and principles, especially working with words, improvisation, humor, objects and movement. He collaborates with, among others, the Spitfire Company, Tantehorse, PocketArt and My Kluci co spolu chodíme (an ensemble he also co-founded and actively participates in its dramaturgical and directing line).

In his own work, he focuses on the synthesis of object theatre and absurd poetics. Examples include his solo performances Lavabo, STILL WAITING_BECKETT 2050 and DÓ. He has long been devoted to the organic nature of juggling and the attempt to "de-circus" this technique - he sees it as the key to playfulness and working with objects.

Andrej Štěpita, a graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and the prestigious SEAD Academy, is a performer, teacher and creator working primarily in the field of contemporary dance and physical theatre. In his artistic work, he draws on an endless source of energy, which has been shaped by various dance styles and aesthetic forms during his artistic development. He is the founder of the Tanečno festival and has long-term cooperation with the international ensemble Farma v jeskyni ( Commander, Český Hrdina, Refuge, Oscilace ), as well as with many associations, especially in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria ( Artemporis, Burkicom, MimoOs, ZDRUHESTRANY, BOD.Y, dNO ...). As a performer and creator, he has collaborated on many works presented in public spaces.