Isadora Tomasi
big small otherwise, performance
“It’s very, very, very, very warm. We’re very, very, very, very sweaty. And we forgot which… we forgot which body part is which. We forgot which body part is which, and we touch. We touch our knee. We touch our knee and it feels…. it feels like a big warm waterfall that opens the knee and splits it in many, many pieces. Softly warmly. Our knee. Our knee is like a mountain.”
Inspired by queer theorists such as Sara Ahmed, Paul B. Preciado, and Jack Halberstam, big small otherwise explores the concept of "fluidity" within the realm of performance.
In the piece Rita Bifulco and Isadora Tomasi promote a space for grieving, for holding each other’s stories, for staying with the unresolvedness of certain situations and feelings. The performers share both intimate and fictional stories, using the power of imagination to explore pleasure. They weave together text, decomposed choreographies, live music, Dj-sets and transforming into a multiplicity of characters.
The performers invite the audience to join them on a journey of discovery, searching for their ways of confronting the patriarchal gaze and finding the politics of pleasure in expressing, re-imagining and presenting their identities.
Performers: Rita Bifulco & Isadora Tomasi
Bio
Isadora Tomasi is a performance and sound artist based in Amsterdam. A graduate of the DAS Theatre Master Programme (2023) and AHK's Bachelor's in Mime (2015), Isadora's work blends movement, writing, singing, and music. Drawing inspiration from queer and feminist theorists like Sara Ahmed and Paul B. Preciado, she challenges dominant narratives and societal expectations. By exploring personal experiences and discomfort, Isadora aims to deconstruct systems of supremacy and create spaces for solidarity, believing that impactful change often starts at the micro level.
Rita Bifulco is a performance and sound artist based in Amsterdam. She studied Theatre Sciences at La Sapienza in Rome and completed her bachelor's in Mime at the University the Arts in Amsterdam, where she also serves as a student advisor and teacher. In 2020, she co-founded “Mime fabriek,” a platform for the mime and performance community, organizing residencies and workshops. Rita's performances explore themes of absence, blending personal memories and mythological elements through movement, sound, and textiles.
Credits
Concept and direction: Isadora Tomasi in close collaboration with Rita Bifulco
Dramaturgy: Konstantinos Chatzikypraios
Choreography: Isadora's childhood hip hop teacher, Rita & Isadora
Choreographic and dramaturgical guidance: Maciej Sado
Light & set design: Paulina Prokop
Costume design: Nell Schwan
Sound design: Isadora Tomasi & Rita Bifulco
Outside eye: Daniela Bershan, Bruno Listopad & Miguel Angel Melgares
Production: Anca Turtoi
Thanks to: Fernando Belfiore, Tiana Hemlock-Yensen, Rebekka Bangerter, Fariborz Karimi, ChatGPT, Lara Staal, Francesca Lazzeri, Rose Akras
And also to the dead ones: Raffaella Carrà, Monica Vitti, Rita, Maria Pia, Maurizio, Nonna Betty, Nonna Angela and Nonna Stella
Residencies: Frascati Theatre & DAS Theatre
Supported by AFK Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst and ATD-Aart Janszen Fund
