The Two
AN ARTISTIC INTERPRETATION OF KATJA KABANOVA
Inspired by Leoš Janáček’s opera Katja Kabanova, The Two reimagines the story with a contemporary and deeply emotional lens. The project merges opera, expressive dance, and cinematic elements to explore themes of love, repression, and the struggle for freedom in a rigid society.
The Narrative
In this reinterpretation, Katja and Varvara are not just bound by fate—they are lovers. Their voices blend, sometimes alternating, sometimes merging into a choral-like unity. Their inner turmoil, their longing for escape, and the suffocating weight of societal expectations form the emotional core of the piece.
The text, drawn from the opera’s libretto, unfolds in four parts, structured around Katja and Varvara’s thoughts rather than direct plot progression. The climax diverges from the original opera: instead of Katja’s tragic suicide, the two flee together—transforming despair into defiance.
The Stage and Performance
The staging draws inspiration from the Salzburg Festival 2022 production, embracing stark minimalism. A dark, unadorned space, illuminated only by strategic lighting and the movements of the performers. The supporting actors, mostly motionless, symbolize the rigid societal forces pressing upon the protagonists.
Dancers, absent in the opera, expand the narrative through expressive movement. Their roles shift fluidly—sometimes they support Katja and Varvara, sometimes they embody the oppressive gaze of society, and sometimes they act as an interpretative bridge between the characters and the audience.
Themes and Vision
The Two is a story of resistance against invisible constraints, of love struggling against an unyielding world. The ambiguity of the characters’ presence—sometimes together, sometimes apart—leaves room for the audience’s interpretation. Is their union real or just a dream? Are they trapped or finally free?
An artistic exploration of what it means to escape—whether in body, mind, or imagination.