World premiere: In the performance we meet Johanna, who has opted out of society. She does not want to work. Ideally, she just wants to knit and sit on the sofa at her father’s house, where she has spent the past couple of years. But now her father has put his foot down and is forcing her out to work – in an office – hell on earth.
Having had only her own relentless, pounding thoughts for company, Johanna must now relate to the others who work at the office: her boss Ove, who thinks he has everything under control; IT consultant Markus, who loves office life; and seasoned old hand Ragnhild, who has worked out how to avoid working at work with a clear conscience. Together, they are dynamite – for better and for worse.
The Art of Functioning is a tragicomic play about insecurity, shame – and finding your way back to yourself in an office. Working life is an important part of our lives. It is where everyone is expected to contribute, and where we are expected to find mastery and meaning. When you do not take part, you are expected to have a good reason – especially when you apparently have every chance to succeed and perform. And so it can feel lonely when you still cannot manage it.
The performance is intended as a reminder that you are not alone in feeling uncertain from time to time, and will hopefully strengthen your belief that there is room for you in the world, too.
About the artist
Marianne Lauritsen is one of this year’s UngKunst artists, a scheme that the True Northern Arts Festival has run for several years, giving young artists from Northern Norway the opportunity to experiment and present their artistic practice to a wider audience. Lauritsen (b. 1996) lives in Hamarøy in Nordland, and writes drama for both stage and film. The Art of Functioning is her first full-length theatre piece, for which she is both playwright and director.
This performance is for you if you:
- work in an office
- do not work in an office
- want to laugh and cry at the same time
- need a reminder that you are not alone
