lee meir

crying creatures crying

crying creatures crying opens a window to a world of creatures that inhabit our desires, hopes and despairs. In their being-ness these creatures flash back at us reflections of the world around us. Using her body as a vessel, Lee Méir brings them to life, undergoing continuous transformation, never settling, always evolving. On stage with her, Loïc Iten transforms everyday objects—plastic bags, suitcases, strings—into magical beings and otherworldly landscapes. Following the logic of a dream, sense emerges and dissolves: little loves stories, lost voices, remnants of reason. Designed to be equally engaging for both adults and children, crying creatures crying invites the audience to an inclusive experience, one which is open for interpretation, yet remains specific in its dedication to the relation between craft and the boundless power of imagination. In times of utter disturbance, crying creatures crying opens up a window to a fluid world, tickeling associations, emotions and glimpses of thoughts that seem suppressed under a heavy carpet of worries.

Choreography, Concept & Performance:
LEE MÉIR
Stage Design & Performance:
LOÏC ITEN
Sound Design:
JANA SOTZKO
Light Design:
CATALINA FERNÁNDEZ
Choreographic Assistance:
ELI COHEN
Dramaturgy, Outside Eye:
LIDY MOUW
Costume:
LEE MÉIR, SASKIA SCHOENMAKER, LOÏC ITEN
Production Management:
SASKIA SCHOENMAKER
Voice Coach:
IRENA Z. TOMAŽIN

Premiere: 24.05.24 Uferstudios Berlin

" It made me think about Lee’s concept of serious play as something contagious. For her process is a strategy and modality, but I think it infects the audience too. I sat there like a child at a puppet show, totally enchanted." (Louise Trueheart, holding nothing holding a lot)

“For me as a maker, the thing I always hope for with my work is that it stays with people. That it’s not forgotten after the first post-show drink at the bar. That a trace will weave into the audiences consciousness a day or a year after the event. A month after seeing crying creatures crying together, A (my child) is still asking questions about the complex moral and emotional configuration of the tearful figure from the end of the piece. I am still thinking how grateful I am that this is the first full length dance work we got to see together; how much it held for both of us.”
(Melanie Jame Wolf, Tiny Creatures)

crying creatures crying is co-produced by Uferstudios (Berlin) & STUK (Leuven) with the support of Life Long Burning, co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, and PACT Zollverein (NRW). Funded by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

Photos: Zee Hartmann