A greeting from the Artistic Director Spring 2024

Dear audience

The sun has turned and we are looking forward to an exciting season. With performances, talks, Oslo Internasjonale Teaterfestival 2024 and the launch of a new book in the Scenekunstklassikere series, there is much to look forward to, even in a difficult time. It is in the stormiest weather that we are really reminded of what the freedom to create, practice and experience art means in a society. This spring's program spans between performances that cultivate the joyous moments, that play with the illusive and narrative power of the theater, that unite old myths and digital technologies in surprising ways, and that take us out into the woods and fields and challenge perceptions of nature and culture. Among other things.

Occasionally, performances are exceptionally timely. While the government's Men's Committee is delivering the report on boys' and men's equality challenges in Norway this spring, we are showing a total of three different performances dealing witht the male role and expectations and experiences related to it: Når det jeg egentlig vil er at du skal holde rundt meg by Katja Brita Lindeberg, TORVALD by Ibrahim Fazlic and PANSER by Jonathan Ibsen and Fredrik Petrov. It is really coincidental that we are presenting an artistic counterpart to the Men’s Committeereport. At the same time, this coincidence says something about how creative artists relate to their contemporaries. Performing arts' many methods, idioms and basic collectivity can give us experiences and stories that shed a special light on identity and society, and how we as humans sense, think and act.

In 2024, Black Box teater is celebrating20 years in Marstrandgata 8. The last few years have been a long battle to secure premises and further operation of our beloved theatre. Last autumn we had planned the start of a long-awaited renovation project that would improve the theatre's facilities, but this has now been postponed until some time in the future. This spring, however, there will be construction work in the neighborhood. We hope it does not cause difficulties for our audience. After all, the future prospects for Black Box teater in Marstrandgata are quite bright. You can be sure that we will continue with undiminished strength.

This season, we offer a program packed with performances from the Norwegian performing arts field, while the festival program emphasizes international guest plays. In 2004, the legendary Forced Entertainment was responsible for the opening of the new Black Box teater at Rodeløkka. This year it is BANGER, a sizzling new production by the star duo Ingvild Langgård and Magnus Myhr, which will kick off the spring program. We intend to finish the season as strong as we start it. That is why we are very much looking forward to welcoming Susie Wang back to the Black Box teater in June with the premiere of this remarkable theater group’s new performance.

The book series Scenekunstklassikere continues to grow. Next book out will be Cecilie Lindeman Steen's writing about the dance company Collage. Her starting point is the performance Filo d'erba or Frail Creation (1989), which marked Collage's 15th anniversary and in which Steen herself participated. The performance premiered at Black Box teater, which at the time was located at Aker Brygge. We are delighted withthe good reception the book series has received so far. More releases are coming, so stay tuned.

Welcome to us!

– Jørgen Knudsen

Artistic and general director

PS. We show selected performances at 17.00 and at 19.00.