MEDIATHEK

THE CALL is a surrealistic piece exploring the depths of personal contact, loneliness, and 'noise' in our communications through a timeless and non-linear narrative based on still-life images inspired by photos of Guy Bourdin and Cindy Sherman. It is the first large production of DTMF Signaling, a new multidisciplinary group based in Amsterdam. In THE CALL, each discipline is engaging organically to create different layers of meaning within the dramaturgy of the piece. Our aesthetic doesn’t rely on text-based meaning, but rather gives importance to the embodied experience of the audience. 

// Music: Rotary telephones were hacked so that audio voltage can make the telephones ring. Also, the telephones' original speaker and microphone are used to create and transmit sound. Composed elements like singing, speech, sound of props (like static from a 70's t.v.) and the sound inherent to the action, create a live soundscape. The composition is a translation of magical realism into music, where a seemingly 'realistic' scene gradually morphs into a surreal atmosphere were sounds co-relate to each other in a way they would rarely, if never, do in real life. 

// Choreography/ Scenography: Cinthya plays with iconographic images and physical actions from our cultures: a woman talking on the phone, watching T.V. or just sitting on a sofa. These symbols create a frame where the complexity of the characters is expressed by the abstract quality of movement and music, which communicates with the audience beyond rationality. 

// The scenography creates images which influence the choreographic language. Props trigger movement and physical actions, giving everyday life situations a deeper meaning. The most important props are the rotary telephones, which are used by the main character to talk to herself, while the witnesses use them to create channels of communication that sometimes distort reality. 

// Light Design: Vinny’s work can be distinguished by its use of light to tell a story, giving light a formative role in the performance process and space, rather than just a decorative one. She makes images through a conversation between light, music and movement. The light design guides the audience through the non-linear narrative, using a strong colour palette inspired by the Surrealists and atmospheric changing shadows to indicate the passing of time. Household floor lamps are used for the audience light, creating an immediate and atmospheric connection between the audience and the piece.