This April, we are absolutely thrilled to present Reactor's very first international co-production, brought to life alongside the Cluj Cultural Centre, Pogon (Zagreb, Croatia), and L’arboreto – Teatro Dimora (Mondaino, Italy) as part of the wonderful project Stronger Peripheries: A Southern Coalition!

To find out more about the exciting creative process behind the performance of "Point Nemo", Alexandra Caras, Selma Dragoș, and Adonis Tanța happily answered a few of our questions.

You joined the creative team of "Point Nemo" while it was still in its research phase, even taking part in some of that stage. What does the artistic process look like for you when working this way? How has the research experience been so far?

Selma Dragoș: For me, the laboratory was a highly stimulating experience, absolutely bursting with joy and satisfaction! Even though Catinca, Mihai, and Oana already had a concept in mind, working together to search for solutions through our own artistic and non-artistic experiences—by trial and error—meant that I gained a deep understanding and ownership of the concept. I probably wouldn't have achieved this without such an intimate, detailed knowledge of the choices that led us to the rehearsals in Cluj. It was wonderful that everyone made proposals and none of us was an expert in the language we were using (board games, party games, etc.). Through approximations, analogies, trials, confusion, and wonderful "aha!" moments, we reached a result that none of us could have ever achieved alone. This excitement and satisfaction, of course, came with a healthy dose of uncertainty—having tested things only on each other and three lovely volunteers from our hosts, we had no guarantee it would work, nor any way of knowing how a diverse group of 30 people would react!

Adonis Tanța: For me, the most beautiful research phase of this project was definitely the residency in Mondaino. It was my very first time working in a theatre nestled right in the middle of a forest—a truly generous workspace both literally and figuratively! If it were up to me, I’d love to keep a bit of that magical Italian atmosphere, where we could breathe just a little easier. Right now, we feel the exciting pressure of the premiere, where the rhythm and vibe are quite different from our artistic forest laboratory! :))

The show's program lists you all as performers, yet each of you comes from a different artistic background, which changes your relationship with the idea of performing or acting in a show. What does being a performer mean to you in this wonderful context? 

Selma Dragoș: I have only a little stage experience as a shadow puppeteer, performer, or clown in children's shows. So, when I was invited into this project, I assumed it wasn’t these specific skills that recommended me, but rather my non-artistic experiences. Today (with just one week left before the premiere!), I still believe my role as a performer in this project will draw heavily on my experience as a facilitator in adult profiling processes. I think the performative presence I am looking for needs to blend a bit of the playful, slightly threatening artificiality of a character with the encouraging neutrality of a focus group leader!

Alexandra Caras: It’s something completely new and delightfully challenging for me! There are so many situations right now where we don't know exactly how things will unfold, what the audience will do, or what they might refuse. Because of that, we have to improvise a lot based on the live dynamics of the performance. It’s absolutely thrilling and a little scary at the same time! I’m looking forward to it with lots of curiosity and curiosity-filled questions. The concept behind it is super cool, and I think it’s wonderful that I get the chance to put it to the test!

How did working together go, especially since this is a highly participatory and non-hierarchical process? What challenges and joys arose, and how did your roles evolve? How does this collaborative style shine through in the performance itself?

Alexandra Caras: For me, this isn’t the first time being part of a project with this kind of collaborative dynamic, so I’m quite familiar with it. There’s such a wonderful sense of satisfaction when you feel you’ve contributed directly to the creative process... It's like: "How cool, they kept my idea!" or "Ha! Look at that... my thought inspired someone else and turned into something concrete in the show!" These thoughts make you feel so much closer to the project, more intimate with it, and let you embrace it in a unique way. Of course, there are challenges in this kind of work too—it can get tiring or frustrating at times, but those are secrets from our creative laboratory and that's where they'll happily stay!

What does this type of show bring to the core theme—the right to a future? How can we still talk about the future today?

Adonis Tanța: First of all, the very form of the show takes a bold step into the future, as it’s not a conventional theatre play at all! We tried to explore the concept of a performative game as much as possible, connecting deeply with the present world while constantly placing ourselves, imaginatively, in a hypothetical future. Our game thrives on imagination, and I believe that as long as we can imagine the very next second, the day ahead, tomorrow, or old age, the future exists and we can absolutely talk about it. And honestly, isn't that what we do all the time anyway?

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