The University of Iowa’s Hancher will present Kindur: The Adventurous Life of Icelandic Sheep by Compagnia TPO on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. The company is known for creating smart, dynamic theater for children and adults.
Compagnia TPO is one of the world’s foremost pioneers in interactive performance media. The group designs shows to be visually stunning, utilizing multiple surfaces in a space to draw the audience into a different world. Based in Prato, Italy, Compagnia TPO melds digital imagery with multidisciplinary performance techniques in the use of music, dance, art, sculpture, digital media, computer technology, lighting, and sound.
In Kindur, the nature story of the adventurous life of Icelandic sheep, three dancers illustrate the journey of the sheep through the extreme seasons of the Northern Atlantic. Kindur (“sheep” in Icelandic) are special animals in Iceland, vastly outnumbering the human population. They do not have a shepherd; they stay together inside pens during winter and then roam about the country as a group in the summertime. The audience, through the eyes of sheep, discovers the extraordinary environmental landscape, myths, and legends of Iceland. They journey through the country, seeing glaciers and northern lights, feeling the spray of gigantic waterfalls—every natural element seems animated by mysterious forces.
Inviting children from the audience onstage, Compagnia TPO straddles the thin line between art and play by creating an immersive and hands-on theater experience. Children are given soft, wooly hearts that light up during parts of the performance, signaling them to come onstage to play a part in the show. The floor mat and dancers are fitted with motion sensor technology, changing the soundscape and visual aspects of the show based on movement of the children and dancers.
Kindur will also be performed during school hours for some Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) third and fourth grade students. ICCSD classes will attend together and tickets will be $1 per student.
This event is supported by the Herbert A. and Janice A. Wilson Arts Education Fund.
How to get tickets
Tickets are $25; college student, $10; senior citizen, $22.50; and for youth, $10 from the Hancher Box Office.
The Hancher Box Office, located on the first floor of the south end of the Old Capitol Town Center near the parking ramp, is open for phone (319-335-1160 or 800-HANCHER) or walk-up business from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may be ordered online at www.hancher.uiowa.edu. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale one hour before show time at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Hancher in advance at 319-335-1158.