ODISEO.COM is an international intermedia performance created by Latin American artists, whose proposal is to offer a theatrical experience through digital technology and a discussion on technology-mediated relationships. It is performed simultaneously, in real time, in three venues in three different countries: Germany, Argentina and Brazil.

The mise-en-scène is the result from the interest of Brazilian director André Carreira and Argentine actor Juan Lepore in working together. Chilean playwright Marco Antonio de la Parra, actress Amalia Kassai, also Chilean, and Brazilian actress Milena Moraes have joined them on this challenge.

After Carreira staged a theater play for one season in Buenos Aires, at the Centro Latinoamericano de Creación e Investigación, CELCIT, a desire emerged between them to share their knowledge of creation practices, which resulted in a mise-en-scène that combines central elements of their professional paths. Given the distance between their homes and workplaces, they began developing the play via email and video conferencing on Skype. This was the starting point of the creation process of Carreira and Lepore, and they were soon joined by playwright De La Parra, who set out to write an original script for their initiative.

Although their project has not necessarily stemmed from a desire to perform theater online nor to search the counterpoint of actors with virtual images, it ended up exploring the possibilities and the difficulties of a mediated scene.

The staging addresses the possibilities and impossibilities of love through virtual communication. Loneliness and the desire for possession are the central elements of the plot, which has one lonely character in each of the three countries; they face audiences that can wonder about such conditions and the efforts made to be with someone even at a distance.

Ulises is a successful executive of a multinational company, entrapped in his own success. He keeps switching from one continent to another in between time zones, worn out by these transitory places, too meaningless even be to defined as “a place”; these are non-places represented by hotel rooms and airports, as referred to by anthropologist Marc Augé.

The relationships between Ulises (Juan Lepore) and his wife Laura (Amalia Kassai), who lives in Bremen - Germany, and with his lover, singer Elisa (Milena Moraes), who lives in Florianópolis - Brazil, are carried out through Skype and very infrequent personal encounters.

“When exploring the pros and cons of a scene mediated by technology, the result is, fortunately, a new theatrical form that marks the liminality of the so-called theater. (...) In Odiseo.com, it all appears that the virtual distance has its costs and encourages the spectator to consider the possibility of building a relationship outside of real space, calling into question the validity of it. Unique proposal, functional set design, digital tools and good performances make Odiseo.com an innovative play for our time.“

Julieta Messer, SPECTAVI – reseñas críticas

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"As a show that has stemmed from the world wide web, Odiseo.com is a successful accomplishment that has connected various artists in different countries through collaborative work. (...) The core of the play is the tension between online and face-to-face experiences, and it has been meticulously devised to arouse emotions from the audience. The concept of hyper-real, as opposed to that of hyper-digital, produces refractions, shifts directions, triggers the imaginary, thus reaching its share of non-substance, from an anti-Aristotelian perspective. For this reason, it is sophistic. It is in this sense that Odiseo.com conjures, given all its ambiguities, what is known and what is yet to be known, the spoken and the unspoken, the deed and the duty, the biggest asset of a performance that relies on the improbable."  

Edelcio Mostaço, Questão de Crítica

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"An interesting proposal that widens the drama environment, not only by making real and virtual experiences coexist, but also by placing the audience on new ground, within a hotel room, while blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality." 

Adriana Santa Cruz, Leedor

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“Directed by André Carreira, this theatrical and audiovisual performance combines different artistic languages and brings them together in a unique proposal. De la Parra's version of Odiseo allows today’s audiences to relate to the classic tragic love story, since it addresses issues such as infidelity, passion and dissatisfaction.”

Carolina Nogueira, Buenos Aires Herald

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“For 65 minutes, this drama experience competes with the nature of live experiences, transferring their momentum to mediated communication, without losing sight of the theatrical event. This can build a seductive connection, both visually and narratively, to attract younger viewers.”

TELAM

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“Instead of rip technology, overlaps the appreciation of actor. There is no possibility of tripping over loose threads in this digital tangle, carnal and desiring shown in a clearly and poignant way(…)The partnership between the theatre group (E)XPERIENCE Underground, Florianópolis, and CELCIT, of Argentina now attains soap opera plots from its theme familiarity, now bypasses the tension of John Cassavetes’ movies. This is theatre defending its place in the race attendance. ”

Valmir  Santos, Teatrojornal