Tero Saarinen: Man in a Room

Choreography Carolyn Carlson Music Gavin Bryars, Apocalyptica Lighting design Set design Carolyn Carlson Costume design Rachel Quarmby-Spadaccini

Duration 22 minutes Premiere June 17, 2000, La Biennale de Venezia, Italy Production La Biennale de Venezia (Italy) In collaboration with ()

Tero Saarinen Company Technical & Production Staff

Technical Director Ville Konttinen

Managing Director Iiris Autio Head of Marketing and Communications Terhi Mikkonen Head of International Relations Johanna Rajamäki Production and Development Manager Carita Weissenfelt Company Assistant Sara Hirn

This is a general document. Please contact [email protected] for a confirmed cast list.

Tero Saarinen Company

Since its foundation in 1996, Tero Saarinen Company has captivated audiences and critics in 40 countries on six continents and prestigious venues such as BAM and The Joyce in New York, Chaillot and Châtelet in Paris, and the Royal Festival Hall in London. TSC's core activities also include running a global training programme, presenting international dance companies in , community outreach projects as well as co-productions and commissions. Its collaborators include the LA Phil, NDT1, Batsheva, Lyon Opéra , The National Dance Company of Korea and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. terosaarinen.com

Background info about Man in a Room

Man in a Room was created for Tero Saarinen by Carolyn Carlson in 2000, one of the most influential contemporary choreographers in Europe. It was originally performed as a part of Spiritual Warriors, a compilation evening of solos choreographed by Carlson for five renowned dancers. Today, it is performed with Absent Presence.

Man in a Room displays a man - an artist - in a room. Inspired by the life of the American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970), the work explores man’s creative anxiety.

The seemingly arbitrary overlap of text, music and movement, is indicative of the heritage of North American modernism; the spirit of Rothko can be readily identified in the performance. However, Tero Saarinen's interpretation expands the creative anxiety of an individual artist onto a more general, universal level.

The music by Gavin Bryars was made to illustrate a BBC programme for teaching how to play cards. The group of young Finnish cello players Apocalyptica drives the 'game' in another direction.

This is a general document. Please contact [email protected] for a confirmed cast list.