PANOPTIKUM or the Memory of Objects

Panoptikum* is a theatrical journey through L.’s house and the stories of the unusual objects that hold her memories.

Behind every corner in this house-museum lurks something unexpected: contradictory voices from the past; the gaze of a painted all-seeing eye; a dead phone bought at a flea market in Madrid; a half-forgotten melody; the employees of a house-emptying company.

Memory becomes a dangerous territory, where the fate of objects depends on the audience’s attention. Each spectator must choose their own place in the space and the story they will follow. The experience brings together different disciplines: verbatim theatre, original music performed live, and installation art. The main inspiration for the performance is the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Panoptikum is a story about the fear of losing memory, about the material world, the objects we choose to surround ourselves with, the value we assign to them, and their influence on the relationships between us.

*panoptikum (n.) — a museum containing rare and valuable objects or wax figures.

The performance lasts 80 minutes, during which the audience is free to move around the space. Please let us know before the performance begins if you need a seat.

“Panoptikum” is an original production by Martina Novakova, adapted to different spaces (houses, museums, basements) and constantly changing. It was created within the Master’s program in Theatre Arts at Carlos III University of Madrid, under the direction of Juan Mayorga. The premiere took place in June 2018 at Auditorio de Leganés, Madrid, Spain. In 2020, “Panoptikum” was selected by EURODRAM Bulgaria and presented as part of the ProText 10 festival at the Goethe-Institut, Sofia. The Bulgarian premiere was made possible with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, “Debuts” program 2021, and took place in February 2024 at RCZSI Toplocentrala. The event is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, “Distribution” program 2024, and in partnership with the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center - Gabrovo and the Dramatic Theatre “Racho Stoyanov” - Gabrovo.

Text and direction: Martina Novakova Assistant director: Dayana Atanasova Cast: Dayana Dimitrova, Vasilia Drebova, Ivaylo Draganov, Dimitar Gorchakov and Martina Novakova Music: Dimitar Gorchakov Graphic and web design: Kremena Miteva Photos and video: Dimitar Gorchakov, Ilyan Ruzhin Production: Panoptikum Foundation Website: https://panoptikum.wixsite.com/panoptikum