This Is Why We Live

“★ ★ ★ ★ [ if you] long to be moved in a direction you didn’t know you could be moved to in a direction you didn’t know existed, then This is Why We Live may be the show for you”

— David Walters, Front Row Center (New York)

Combining poetry-theatre, live music and collage; two actors and a musician journey through fragmented and visceral encounters with the world. Inspired by the poems of Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, This is Why We Live is a kaleidoscope of characters, thoughts, reflections, and memories; bringing the audience close to the poet's state of astonishment. We invite you to a unique international collaboration between Canadian company, Open Heart Surgery Theatre, Tara Arts (UK) and Theatre de L’Enfumeraie (France); blending three languages, we delight in bringing our audience into a surreal, cabaret-style performance that celebrates a great female voice of the 20th century.

Wisława Szymborska’s body of work is a canvas of words exploring humanity’s relationship with nature, the irony of existence and the existential questioning of our place within the universe. In Szymborska’s view, no matter how horrific the world may be we can still stand in awe, be amazed and remember what came before us. It’s this state of truly seeing the world around us that is explored in This Is Why We Live.

Originally performed at Plateau 31 in Paris, France in April 2016 and then going on to The Theatre Centre in Toronto in October and the Hamilton Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Hamilton. The piece was part of Off-Miłosz Festival in June 2018 and performed in Krakow and Katowice; we brought this work to NYC at La MaMa Experimental Theater as part of their 58th season.

This Is Why We in NYC

A Digital Watch Party in London, UK at The Cockpit, part of VOILA! Europe 2022

We will share the film-version of the play as part of La MaMa’s 58th Season in 2019! This is part of the Digital Watch Series including a talk-back with the artists! Join us for this FREE event!

Friday November 4, at 7pm UK time (3pm EST) ONLINE

Part of the Voila Europe Theatre Festival produced by The Cockpit

Click Here to register