What Can Happen If You End Up with a Straight Shovel in Your Hands?
Sofia, Bulgaria
What drives our deepest desires, fears, and beliefs? How do we make sense of the absurdity of human existence? These are some of the questions posed by Inner Theater Company in their thought-provoking immersive performance, “What Can Happen If You End Up with a Straight Shovel in Your Hands?”, organized in cooperation with OECON Group Bulgaria on November 14th, 2024.
Inner Theater Company explores the possibilities of sensory, immersive, and interactive theater, creating a unique form they call “Inner Theater.” Their performances dissolve the barrier between fiction and reality, engaging all the senses to leave a lasting impact on the audience. They are theatrical alchemists, seeking a transformation that unlocks the heart.
Unlike traditional theater, where the audience passively observes, interactive and immersive theater invites spectators to step inside the story, influencing its direction, becoming part of the experience, and even embodying key characters. This form of performance is more than just a spectacle. It is a debate, an exploration of the human condition.
The performance was centered around one simple but powerful question: “What can happen if you end up with a straight shovel in your hands?”
Through fragmented language, meaningful pauses, and a raw exploration of identity, the performance invited the audience to consider the weight of their choices. Man taken in his pure identity with the unanswered questions, the inflamed consciousness powerless to untie the unsolvable riddles of existence. The man simultaneously accepted and rejected by men. What is this hidden “hunger” that drives us? What does the shovel represent? Is it a tool for destruction or creation? Will the Man bury himself, dig another’s grave, plant a tree, turn over the soil, or create a garden? And more importantly – is he alone in this decision, or will others join him?
The performance blurred the lines between inclusion and exclusion, speech and silence, freedom and responsibility. It examined how language shapes our reality and how our choices define us in the presence of others. As the performance unfolded, the audience became co-creators of the narrative, writing the story together through their engagement and reactions.
Following the performance, an open discussion provided space for audience members to share their experiences. Their responses highlighted the modern theatre’s need to put up more events like this one – innovative, powerful, challenging, thought-provoking, and bringing people closer through a shared experience.
More than just a theatrical production, “What Can Happen If You End Up with a Straight Shovel in Your Hands?” was a shared human experience. It was an invitation to examine the power of choice, the complexity of human connection, and the stories we write together, both on and off the stage.
Through its bold and innovative approach, this performance embodied the spirit of Theatre in Palm, proving that theatre is not just something we watch – it is something we live.
Photo credits: Inner Theatre Company
