A greeting from the Artistic Director Spring 2023

Dear audience

In troubled times, it is good to have a fixed point of reference. Toward the end of 2022, it became clear that we can continue to present cracking performing arts in Marstrandgata 8 for a few more years. These are brilliant news that will give us predictability as we work toward a long-term solution for the theater.

It is hard to find common denominators that tie together the performances on the spring programme. We take this as a healthy sign. Fortunately, performance art in 2023 is not standing still. It moves in many directions, and this will be reflected on stage. We are looking forward to getting to know dancer and choreographer Diana Niepce, who will open the season with The Other Side of the Dance, and to welcome back artists who have performed at the theater earlier.

On that note – this year we are launching the first books in our Stage Art Classics series. This book series unabashedly offers subjective readings of performances and artistry that have left their mark on free performing arts in Norway from the 1970s until today. With these books, we aim at opening up our shared performing arts history to today's audience and let it be told from different perspectives.

Black Box teater has lived close to free performing arts ever since the theater was established at Aker Brygge in 1985. In our own performance archive there are many artistic treats that deserve to be shown again. Moving forward, we will resume a small selection of performances from previous years that we think should be given the opportunity to meet an audience again. This season the choice fell on HEARTFELT by Magnus Myhr. HEARTFELT was created and shown in 2020 while the pandemic was still ongoing.

For many, the uncertain times have not yet ended. After the pandemic artists and venues have experienced bottlenecks. Productions are queuing to meet the audience, while theaters and festivals have filled their programs a long time in advance and are unable to make room for everything. To make up for this, at least a tiny bit, our regular event series ++ will act as a tryout venue this year. ++ shall be an informal social arena for smaller productions, performance excerpts or productions that are still in process and in need of an audience's gaze.

Since 2009, Black Box teater has created an annual festival in the spring. For 2023 and 2024, we have invited two curators to set the festival's agenda. This year's edition of the Oslo International Teater Festival is curated by Maria Utsi in collaboration with Camara Lundestad Joof. The festival will be shorter than usual, with only five intense and content-rich days. Our ambition is that, despite its short duration, the festival's content will leave a mark on the theater long after the event itself ends.

Whether we stay at Rodeløkka as today or whether we move in the future, we hope that Black Box teater will continue to be an anchorage for both the audience and artists. Black Box teater should be the place where you find performances by artists with burning commitment and who dare to go their own ways. The place for exciting conversations and socializing, whether you know us well from before, or if you are visiting us for the first time. We are happy to welcome you!

Jørgen Knudsen, Artistic and general director

Greetings from all of us at Black Box teater