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Wale 4.0 is to host a new theatre piece, directed by choreographer and performer, Athena Mazarakis in collaboration with The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative.

From the Press Release: “The piece is titled “Smoke and Mirrors”, and is being presented at the Wits Theatre from May 11th to 14th with funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Mazarakis — who is The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative’s first Artist In residence for 2011 – describes the piece as inspired by the endless series of smoke and mirrors that make up much of human engagement.

“We live our lives negotiating an endless series of smoke and mirrors: in societies administered by political subterfuge; in spaces at the intersection of the virtual and the real, in human relationships with individuals wrapped in the illusions of who they want to be,” says the director. “The present is rendered unstable and unknowable in a world wrapped in illusion.”

‘Smoke and Mirrors” tackles the many questions that arise from this aspect of the human condition in both a thematic and structural way — among them, in an unstable present how can we ever know the truth of any moment? What really lies beneath each interaction? Just how fine is that line between illusion and reality and how complicit are we in buying into and maintaining the illusions around us?

In asking these pressing questions, Smoke and Mirrors also unpacks the illusions of the theatrical experience and of the dancing body.

Mazarakis — who holds a Gauteng MEC award for Most Outstanding Female Dancer and a Kanna Award for Most Prestigious Achievement in Dance Theatre – brings her experience in both Physical Theatre and Contemporary dance to the collaboration with the Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative.

Known for works, like the autobiographical solo Coming To and the interactive installation elev(i)ate — Mazarakis’ stage-work elev(i)ate2 Athena (which continues her exploration of the relationship between the body and live digital arts interfaces) earned her a Silver 2010 Standard Bank Ovation Award in the Physical Theatre category of the National Arts Festival in South Africa. She has previously collaborated with The First Physical Theatre Company and The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative with whom she now presents the work “Smoke and Mirrors”.

For a full programme and details of each event at Wale 4.0 go to www.wale.co.za <http://www.wale.co.za> which will be updated regularly with news around WALE 4.0.

For media interviews and accreditation to performances please contact (011) 788 7631/2″

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