A Dark Night of the Soul

You are invited to step into Préfargier—commonly referred to by its patients as PF—the psychiatric hospital in Switzerland that has been voted the most beautiful in Europe. It overlooks Lake Neuchâtel and a vast park through which doctors, nurses, and patients wander at a slow pace dictated by their burdens, their eyes fixated on the waves lapping the shore.

For this project, Caroline Geiser revisited her memories of residing in PF during a depressive episode.

“I used to believe that my time in Préfargier was a deep, indelible stain on my life. I saw it as evidence of my failure, a sign that I was broken, fundamentally flawed, and weak. However, I have come to see it differently; I now believe it was a crucial part of a necessary process that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world.”

By using both VR and live performance, "A Dark Night of the Soul" aims to recreate the mental dissonance experienced during periods of intense psychological disintegration. Viewing VR through the lens of depressive states reveals interesting parallels between digital simulations and the subjective experience of reality. Both involve navigating the fine line between perception and illusion, reality and fantasy.

Deze voorstelling is een coproductie met IDlab. 

Credits en medewerkers:
Director: Caroline Geiser (Regie Opleiding)
Producer: Danique Schornstädt (Productie Podiumkunsten)
Composer: George Demetriou
Performer: Morgane Ziegler
Performer: Lyénne Doornbos
VR programmer: Hicham Bendriss
Project support IDLab: Willem Weemhof
Concept support: Quirinee racké and Helena Muskens
Producer IDlab: Linda Witpaard
Productional guidance: Annebeth Vlietstra
Video registration: Willem Weemhof and Giel van Geloven

Location:
Jodenbreestraat 3, 1011 NG Amsterdam
(You will be picked up in the hall of the academy.)

Performings dates and times:
Thursday, October 3rd from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Friday, October 4th from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Saturday, October 5th from 10:00 PM to 4:00 PM

A performance lasts 30 minutes. You can reserve a time slot via the following link: https://form.jotform.com/242543893312356

Trigger warning:
This performance contains references difficult topics, including depression, psychiatric hospitalization, psychological disintegration, and suicidal thoughts.