Czech play focuses on hateful commentaries posted to Internet discussions - #nejsemrasista_ale
The Divadlo Petra Bezruče theater in Ostrava, Czech Republic has premiered an original production entitled #nejsemrasista_ale (“#I’m not a racist, but…”), directed by Braňo Holiček. The play about anonymous opinions on the Internet that frequently mask emotions of fear and hatred premiered on 18 May.
“These are authentic discussion posts, it is purely composed just of posts to Internet discussions. We extracted the principles from these discussions, those ‘fouls’ when people tell each other to ‘Learn to write in Czech first’ or ‘Read it first before you start spouting your wisdom here’, etc.,” the director explained to Czech Television.
The script was created from Internet discussions that took place over the course of seven weeks when the production was rehearsed. The actors surfed the web to find the material.
In the play there is just one wifi signal available called “Truth” – to which none of the actors know the password. “Hatred on the Internet always causes fear in the beginning, and then it just continues to build on that,” the director told Czech Television.
“This is all in aid of the system – of somebody, of something, of those who have an interest in there being fear in society, because then opinions and people themselves can be controlled,” the director said. During the play the subjects addressed by the actors change over time.
The authentic commentaries used from the Internet are offensive and vulgar, without any arguments based on facts about the matter at hand. Advertising, anonymity, antisocial behavior and pride in one’s own opinion are the threads running through the entire production.
Critics of the anonymous discussions on the Internet that create fear and hatred in cyberspace will find much food for thought in the production. The play is in repertoire until the end of June and will also be produced from September 2018 through June 2019.
