Samara Hersch is an Australian theatre maker who spent the last years sharing her time between her country of origin and Europe. She developed a unique and fascinating technique bringing conversation between strangers, not only as a methodology of work, but also as its subject.
In her productions, Hersch focuses on stories of marginalized communities and promotes dialogue on social and political issues between different generations. Her latest performance It's Going to Get Dark, which will premiere during SPRING, is an exploration of the possibilities of exchange and intimacy, especially between different age groups. On stage, intergenerational conversations take place between teenagers and seniors, who collectively reflect on how time shapes us and affects our future. Against a backdrop of shifting shadows and apparitions, the performers ask difficult questions about change, uncertainty and the approaching darkness.
It's Going to Get Dark is a prophecy, a promise and a prediction for a future that feels uncertain and overwhelming. Ultimately, the aim of the work is to cultivate curiosity, vulnerability, intimacy and resilience through coming together and listening. By exploring how darkness and theatre can expose alternative modes of interaction, Hersch invites us to rethink our relationship with the unknown and embrace new possibilities.
Samara Hersch is also part of the Topic Talk between provocation and invitation.