by Yota Argyropoulou
by the Blindspot Theatre Group

US President Theodore Roosevelt's insomnia remedy consisted of a shot of brandy in a glass of milk. Abraham Lincoln used to take long walks in the middle of the night, while Vincent Van Gogh filled his mattress and pillow with camphor, which is chemically related to turpentine. The protagonist in 'HOTEL' is tired from years of sleeplessness and is ready to check in to the sleep service, which will help him feel better that night, so as to manage to get some sleep.

'HOTEL' is an artistic fiction project in which the action takes on a theatrical and cinematic aspect and unfolds in a night-time resort that caters to those who have sleeping disorders and insomnia. 'HOTEL's' method is simple: visitors are called upon to relive moments from their past, as well as to re-enact various fantasies and hidden desires. The hotel's employees, informed by the visitors' personal diaries, portray people who are close to the guests, following their life's “script” as faithfully as possible. In this controlled environment the guests are given the opportunity to change, if they so wish, their life story. At the same time, a live audience (the actual audience members) observes their “life”, the spectacle offered by each client's personal life.

In the 'HOTEL', the Man is given another chance: to relive moments he misses, to see his loved ones, to change things for the better. How easy is it though to actually relive moments of your life, even the happiest ones? Are good memories as good as we remember them? What is real and what is fabricated, what is really happening in this 'HOTEL'? What is the Man's secret?

A special trait of the performance is the combination of the theatrical and cinematic codes: cameras located in the venue are connected to a video mixer which will allow for shooting and live editing of the performance in various spaces. Thus, audience members can watch the performance live each night as a play and as a film.

Performance contributors
Concept - design: blindspot theatre group
Writer: Yota Argyropoulou
Director: Michalis Konstantatos
Actors: Yota Argyropoulou, Hara Kotsali, Dimitris Xanthopoulos
Producer: Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos
Sets: Kostas Pappas
Costumes: Elisavet Kokkonari
Original music: Yiorgos Bakalakos (DAVID)
Media Artist: Maria Varela
Lighting: Yiannis Fotou