The French-born writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy’s “Looking for Europe” performance will be played on May 13th at the National Theater in Sarajevo, as part of a major tour of 20 European cities that Lévy visits before the European Parliament election on May 23-26.
Looking for Europe is the internal monologue of an intellectual holed up in a hotel room in Sarajevo with 90 minutes to compose an important speech about Europe.
Should he begin with Greek mythology? With German philosophy? Or with how Europe has grappled with totalitarian tyranny and misery over the past century?
Unfortunately, all that comes to mind are desolate images of an old continent beset by waves of nationalism, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism unprecedented since the 1930s. The gilets jaunes (“Yellow Vests”)… The alliance of right and left-wing demagogues in Italy… The emergence of illiberal dictatorships in central Europe…
Up to the very last minute, in good Elizabethan style, the text of Looking for Europe will be rewritten and adapted to respond to the political situation and current events in each of the 20 cities in which it is presented. As an interactive experience, members of the public will be invited to post questions to lookingforeurope.eu before each performance and then watch Bernard-Henri Lévy integrate and respond to those questions in his on-stage stream of consciousness.
The play will be performed in French with electronic subtitling in the language of the host country or English without subtitles. The run-time is 90 minutes.
Philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy is the author of forty books, including The Empire and the Five Kings, Barbarism with a Human Face and Who Killed Daniel Pearl? His documentaries include Peshmerga, The Oath of Tobruk, and Bosna!
