„Zheng He“ wins „Award for Exceptional Visual Design“ at the UNIMA World Congress and World Puppetry Festival in Chengdu (China)
04.06.12
The Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater was invited to present its multimedial production "ZHENG HE - when the dragon ships came" at the „UNIMA World Congress and Festival“ in Chengdu in China and won the Award for Exceptional Visual Design.
Although more than 100 theater groups from all around the world took part of this International Congress and Festival in Chengdu, the Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater represented Austria, being the only Austrian company invited. Within numerous stages, located all across the 10 million metropole Chengdu (capital of Sichuan), diverse types of visual theater were to be seen.
Not only the audience loved Karin Schäfer's story about the Chinese explorer ZHENG HE, who many years before Christopher Columbus sailed the seas until Africa, but the festival jury also awarded the production for its exceptional visual design, involving masks, human-sized puppets, animations and projections.
Read a German travel-report >>> Bericht Chengdu 2012.pdf
New award for ZHENG HE
Macht | Schule | Theater - new website online
22.02.12
30 theaters and more than 70 schools all over Austria participate annually at the “theater initiative” Macht | Schule | Theater, brought to life by the BMUKK, Austria’s Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture. For the first time, the “Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater” was chosen by a ministry jury to be part of it.
Together with the students of two schools in Neusiedl am See, Gymnasium and Pannoneum, the “Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater” work on a theater project that will be presented end of April at the Haus im Puls in Neusiedl am See as well as in the end of June at the International Festival of Visual Theater “PannOpticum”.
Since the beginning of September, we are working intensively on the project and here are the first videos and pictures:
Tour in Spain
16.12.11
The “Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater“ was invited to numerous festivals in different spanish regions with its new production “ZHENG HE - when the dragon ships came“ in november and december 2011.
STELLA 2011 for “exceptional stage design“
06.10.11
"ZHENG HE - when the dragon ships came"
Judgement of the Jury:
“The most surprising thing about the set design of "ZHENG HE - when the dragon ships came" is above all the interaction of intricately designed video application and the action on stage: A Chinese character is painted on paper and turns magically into a ship, video and actors engage in dialogue and break through the border between screen and stage. The animated films, video clips, shadow images and masks form a poetic space where the narrative part is taken further on the visual level. The professional and multi-faceted use of new media in this production is outstanding in the field of theater for young audiences.“
STELLA 2011
03.10.11
With her “Zheng He - when the dragon ships came“, Karin Schäfer won the STELLA 2011, the Austrian Children and Youth Theatre Award, for the category “exceptional stage design“. For the fifth time, the international experts in the jury, on behalf of the ASSITEJ, the International association of theaters for children and young people, were to choose the best out of all the Austrian children and youth theater production of the year.
In 2009, Karin Schäfer was already part of the nominees with her production “Wind“, and this year it actually happened: the prize for the “exceptional stage design“ went to “Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater“ from Neusiedl am See.
“I‘m really happy about the recognition of my work,“ says Karin Schäfer, “the STELLA prize shows that high value theater productions for children have finally been given the place they deserved in the Austrian cultural scene.“ She continues: “It was exactly our integration of modern media, namely animated cartoon, computer animation and electronic music with the old and fascinating techniques of visual theater that convinced the jury. We were especially complimented on the excellent and magical-like interaction between the play on stage and the projections. Children as well as adults were fascinated and that also convinced the jury.“
World Culture Expo Korea
11.08.11
The „Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater“ has been invited to the “World Culture Expo“ in Gyeongju, Korea. In collaboration with the “Seoul Puppet Theatre“, the Expo shows international visual theatre. This year, the organisers wanted Austria to be part of the festival. With the support of the Austrian embassy in Seoul, we showed our production “Impressions on Strings“ in the Expo Theater from August 19th to the 25th at 11am, 1pm and 2pm.
We have already been invited to the “World Culture Expo“ in 1998 and the same year also to the “International Puppet Theatre Festival“ in Seoul. That is where came up the idea of the marionette on a skateboard: Sin Ming (cf. picture). Back then, our participation was also supported by the Austrian embassy and was a great success that led to many other invitations in Asia, e.g. China and Japan in 2009.
IBERIA: video online
24.07.11
At the moment, we are working on our new production with Christopher Hinterhuber at the piano in order to present the monumental piano work of the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz as a visual concert. This fantastic complex piano cycle was until now rarely to be heard in extenso. Christopher Huber will work on it on the musical level while Karin Schäfer will transform the music into a rich visual theater piece with animated cartoons, projections and live-visuals.
To have a first impression click here: Iberia video clip >>>
Servus TV
18.03.11
The Austrian TV network “Servus TV“ presented on march 18th the work of “Karin Schäfer Figuren Theater“ and its new production “Iberia“. During a whole day, the TV-team filmed the factory at the Friedrichshof in order to give an informative and coherent feature of the theater productions of Karin Schäfer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GImHDoz-T
Another TV-feature from the ORF Burgenland:
Kosmos Theater
04.03.11
On Saturday, march 19th at 7.30 pm, we presented a 30- minute preview of our latest production at the Kosmos Theater in Vienna‘s 7th district, Siebensterngasse 42, for the IF! 2011, the International Visual Theatre Festival of artists. Named after the homonymous work of the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, Karin Schäfer restages numerous images that let the audience discover Albéniz‘ brilliant music in a vivid way.
A preview, making-of can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YViXyUNriUo
We are happy about your interest and your visit! Kind regards, Karin Schäfer & Peter Hauptmann
14.3.2013
Zheng He is in the American Theatre Magazine
Mabele (the African fisherman from our production „Zheng He- when the dragonships came“) is the cover of an article about the Colombo International Theatre Festival in Sri Lanka, released in the March edition of the American Theatre Magazine!
