The Dah Theatre company was formed in 1991 out of a need for experimental theater in Serbia after the war. Their motto is: "In the contemporary world, destruction and violence can only be opposed by the creation of sense." They hope to oppose destruction with creativity and creation.
Their performance takes a cue from Chekov's famous Three Sisters to deal with various themes of loss. Sometimes how we remember things isn't always they way they were in actuality. Sometimes truth and reality do not equal the same thing. Sometimes Moscow isn't as great as you thought it was. Sometimes you lose what you thought you once had.
I don't think I intellectually understood the show, but I understood it in my soul. I understood it in my heart. I don't know how to explain it. It is very seldom that I find myself at a loss for words. As an English and dramatic literature major, I've made an academic career of knowing what to say. But sometimes there just is not the words. There is only a feeling.
Dah means "breath." And in a word that is the best way to describe their performance. Not only was the breath of the performers one of the most beautiful parts of the show, the show itself turned out to be a breath of fresh air to the art community here in the states. After the show the audience sat in silence for a couple of minutes before the curtain call, and we left the theater trying to process what we had just seen.
Dah is currently on a tour of the United States. Please catch any and all of their shows if you can.
Dah's Website
US Tour Website
By TK Widmer
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