A gift to NUHA
The idea of producing A Play of Signs was born in Brussels on November 1st, 2009 thanks to a small group of talented creators who were extremely motivated to create their own adaptation of what Italo Calvino called the “Invisible cities”. We were all part of the European Commission for a few months and wanted to entertain with this outstanding production by the end of the Stage ('internship').
I had read this book because a former Law Professor of mine had given it to the class as a farewell gift at the end of the Fall Semester, and had said: I want you to travel with this book, so you will always be aware that there is another perspective to find and appreciate.
The aim was to produce the Play in Brussels, by the end of February. This represented a true challenge for a group that brought together actors with no previous experience, musicians and two co-directors who had a few months to achieve their dream. It came true on February 17th to 20th 2010 at the Espace Théâtral Scarabaeus, thanks to the great help of the Theatre's technical team.
Our sponsor, Hydro, a Norwegian global supplier of aluminium and aluminium products, based in Brussels is a long-time partner of the European Commission's Stagiaires ('interns').
From the EC Stagiaires' perspective, A Play of Signs was an incredible creative adventure, a friendly occasion to meet people who appreciated visual arts or performing music and being involved in the creation and production of a play.
From my perspective, A Play of Signs was my gift to NUHA. Premised on a dialogue between needs, creative intentions and what might be, both engage actors and supporters to experiment the connections between places, ideas and people. As the play unfolds, we explore different cities, signs for different communities. We see their diversity, yet we relate to them on an essential plane. The experience urges us to cast a fresh look at our environments and reveals new signs, new relations. Finally, A Play of Signs was also an individual and collective journey from a group of interns to a cast – a very tangible experience of NUHA’s goal to foster effective learning communities.
From the very beginning, it was my aim to organise an event within the European Commission's ambit, with NUHA as a privileged partner. The exposure for NUHA was beyond expectation because the play successfully promoted NUHA's mission to the targeted audience. NUHA's Outreach Team was by my side at all times and present at all three performances. There was a display of the site for the forthcoming library in Salamieh, Syria, and the team answered the audience’s questions.
After four months of hard work, A Play of Signs was performed and the link was established between what the play signified for all of us and what the play will truly mean for NUHA in the future.
Jessica Walch
Legal Affairs Coordinator
Producer of A Play of Signs
Continue exploring: A Play of Signs | Libretto: Introduction | Libretto: the Cities | Libretto: Credits.
