The Painted Bird Trilogy is a trio of interdisciplinary live performance works by Pavel Zuštiak | Palissimo Company, featuring dance, live music, video, and visual projection, presented in New York City by La MaMa (November 2010), Baryshnikov Arts Center (June 2011) and Performance Space 122 at Synod Hall, NYC (May 2012).
Here, Pavel answers audience questions submitted following the performances of Part III, Strange Cargo.
Audience Member: What is the relationship of the work to the original book?
PZ: This is the first time I turned to a book as an inspiration for my work. Together with the cast, musicians and designers we turned to it as a source abstracting the themes of displacement, migration, transformation and “outsidership” into a trilogy of live performance works. It was my goal to create the work that would through abstraction speak to vast audiences beyond cultural or historical differences. I feel that history is repeating itself and issues tackled in The Painted Bird book are as relevant today as they were decades ago. But I was not planning on adapting the book’s narrative for stage in a literal manner.
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