LET'S TRY TO FIND THE STAR WITHIN OURSELVES FOR A MOMENT

Phenomenologists claim that palaces, squares, former plants..., that is, spaces that belong to the long-term history of the city are actually dead until people who live in them now breathe life into them. Precisely this is the aim of our events – to bring life into old Rijeka’s venues. Make them our own, contemporary. If we wanted to explain this in theatrical terms, then we would come to the always intriguing and underinvestigated term ambiental theatre. Our goal is to create ambiental theatre in well-known and unknown places in Rijeka. On Korzo, Trsat, Kantrida, in Torpedo, at the University Campus and the remains of the Old Town, on Trsatska gradina… These places need to be rediscovered over and over again in every way, and even as theatrical venues.       

"Rijeka Summer Nights 2006" will bring together extraordinary artists from all over the world and present completely new modes of theatre and almost diametrical theatrical poetics. One of the world’s greatest tenors Josè Cura from Argentina will perform at this year’s "Nights". "Strange Fruit" from Australia, one of the most famous street theatres in the world, will open the festival. Japanese genius Moe Yamamoto will be the choreographer to Rijeka’s ballet company, while the contemporary flamenco legend Gerardo Núñez from Spain will hold a concert at Gradina. Rijeka’s and Pula’s poets and writers will declaim their texts in the Old Town; Damir Urban and "4" will give a concert/performance in Torpedo accompanied by our orchestra and Alan Bjelinski; Ivan pl. Zajc Croatian National Theatre (HNK) will give its famous "La Gioconda" and "Carmina Burana"; Drama will give the premiere of Mato Matišić’s provocative piece "Nobody’s Son"; at Kantrida, "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh" will be performed… And so on, and so on. Finally, all of this does not imitate the chaos in which we actually are, but tries to create and demonstrate the richness of numerous types of art. They all at once live and create the spiritual spaces, here and today and for us. Despite everything.    

Mani Gotovac