What is left of theater when we cut out everything that's unnecessary, when we reduce it to its absolute core? For the Dutch director Lotte van den Berg, theater is first and foremost an agreement to converse by certain, often very different rules of the game. No small talk, but – inspired by the political philosopher Chantal Mouffe – an agonistic negotiation of different opinions. Not with the aim to come to an agreement, but to carve out contrary positions: To share a conflict without wholly resolving it. Over the years, Lotte van den Berg step by step got closer to that core in her work. Now, with Building Conversation, she took the last, logical step. Together with the visual artist Daan 't Sas, they free theater from all ‘As If’ and realize it as what it is: A place of communication, of meeting each other, a room where conflicts are shown and experienced. Inspired by communication techniques from all over the world, models and frames are developed to talk to each other. There are no actors, no audience. Just us. And the invitation to a passionate conversation.
