“We as a civilization have put ourselves in a situation where we like to be constantly watched, paradoxically crying out for the desire to be free.” We are all digital mannequins.” author Maja Pelević

The play “Tested on People” deals with a recognizable topic – reality shows. The author of the play Maja Pelević has gained the reputation of an unusual and creative artist in contemporary Serbian theatre and also in Southern Europe. In her new play, she deals with the phenomenon of reality formats of various internet and television shows, the question of the space of reality, and the constructed, or virtual reality; the blurred boundary of recognizing the differences of the spaces in which we live from our everyday experience. Maja Pelević places a group of eight characters in a tendentiously imprecisely defined space of their coexistence. The specificity of the play is that the theatre stage becomes a big reality in which everyone individually deals with their dilemmas, fears, complaints, hopes and joys.

Eight protagonists perform on stage. In the performance, people are exposed to continuous observation, placed in the so-called “human zoo” (a zoo where humans are exhibited instead of animals). They do not have their own real names, but are given names according to their sensibilities and character traits. Therefore, there is the Romantic, the Perfectionist, the Diplomat, the Adventurer, the Observer, the Achiever, the Mentor, and the Nova. Space and time within this play are organized by the rules of the internet and TV formats of voting, guidance and false choices for its actors and audience. Also, in the end of the play, Pelević addresses the topic of artificial intelligence as the ultimate, or final goal of the development of new technologies and digital life. The performance based on Pelević’ s play will strive for audience interaction to highlight shifting realities, thanks to new media that escape human control – organizing the action on something like a sports field and a television studio.

ATTENTION! This performance uses strobe lighting. It is not recommended for people with epilepsy or those with a pacemaker.