The Great Yes, The Great No
Based on actual events, The Great Yes, The Great No takes place aboard an ocean liner bound for Martinique from Vichy France and carrying a who’s who of mid-20th century thinkers. South African artist William Kentridge adds a layer of fiction to his retelling of this wartime voyage.
To create a meaningful group portrait, Kentridge has augmented the ship’s manifest of real passengers (French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, et al.) with several other famous figures (among them Martinican philosopher Frantz Fanon and French entertainer Josephine Baker). The ship’s captain is none other than Charon, mythical ferryman of the River Styx.
The Great Yes, The Great No was conceived and directed by Kentridge, whose ambitious, multimedia stage show The Head & the Load appeared in 2022 at the Arsht Center. Working with associate directors Phala Ookeditse Phala and Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Kentridge has created a show that is part play, part oratorio and part chamber opera. It incorporates acting, dance, shadow play, film, music and photography to explore anti-rational ways of communicating.
Told in French, English and South African languages such as Xhosa and Setswana, The Great Yes, The Great No embodies the spirit of surrealism, seeking beauty in the unexpected, the uncanny, the disregarded and the unconventional. In its examination of the past, The Great Yes, The Great No gestures toward a freer future.
Dates
December 5 – 7, 2024
Venue
Knight Concert Hall
Run Time
90 minutes, no intermission
Parental Guide
TBD
Price
$50 - $226
Conceived and directed by WILLIAM KENTRIDGE
With PHALA O. PHALA and NHLANHLA MAHLANGU
VIP Dinner Package $2,500
On Thursday, December 5, enjoy an exclusive pre-performance VIP dinner with William Kentridge to support the U.S. premiere and Arsht co-commissioning of The Great Yes, The Great No. Each VIP ticket includes:
3-course dinner at 5 p.m. in Teatro restaurant with Kentridge
Prime performance seating
Valet parking
This experience is available in seats H108 to H115 and F106 to F107 or by selecting VIP Dinner Package under Ticket Type in the purchase path. Current ticket holders who wish to upgrade their seats can contact the box office at 305.949.6722 or tickets@arshtcenter.org.
Produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film
A project of the Centre for the Less Good Idea
Toured in partnership with Quaternaire
Thursday, December 5, 2024 8:00 PM
Available
Friday, December 6, 2024 8:00 PM
Available
Saturday, December 7, 2024 8:00 PM
Available