The Last Sunset is a dance-theatre immersive performance directed by Kosta Karakashyan, Antonia Georgieva (Studio Karakashyan, Bulgaria), and Carlos Aller (Frantics Dance Company, Germany). The project is part of the official programme of the 25th edition of the Gabrovo Biennial of Humour and Satire under the theme “Economy of Means” in co-production with the Goethe-Institut through the International Coproduction Fund.
The performance takes the audience through the spaces of the Regional Landfill for Non-Hazardous Waste – Gabrovo at sunset, leading through a visual and sensory experience that immerses everyone in a dystopian future where we have not turned to sustainable energy sources in time.
Directors: Antonia Georgieva, Kosta Karakashyan, Carlos Manuel Aller
Executive Producer: Delyana Angelova
Choreography: Kosta Karakashyan & Carlos Aller
Dramaturgy: Antonia Georgieva
Dancers: Alexander Tsekoff, Iskra Dukova, Iskra Daskalova, Krastyo Metodiev, Aleksandra Talyokova, Suzan Georgieva, Bilyana Tsolova, Selene Martinez Giron, Carlos Manuel Aller
Creative Consultant: Diego de la Rosa
Set Designer: Boris Daltchev
Costume Designer: Pola Popova
Composer and Sound Engineer: Georgi Atanassov
Photographer and Videographer: Boris Urumov
PR & Marketing: Todor Barganov
Graphic Designer: Hasan Halilov
Environmental Experts: Angel Bondov, Gabriela Petkova, Meglena Antonova, Desislava Mikova, Bojidar Nikolov (Greenpeace Bulgaria)
For upcoming events, follow: Karakashyan & Artists
Kosta Karakashyan
director
Photo Credit: Борис Урумов
Kosta Karakashyan is a Bulgarian-Armenian director, producer, choreographer, and writer exploring empathy and emotion through motion. He has built a prolific body of work, moving through disciplines including film, music videos, commercials, choreography, installations, theatre, and immersive performances produced alongside his production company Studio Karakashyan and dance company Karakashyan & Artists. His work has been described as “an important voice for LGBTQ+ struggles in Chechnya and elsewhere” by The Columbia Spectator and has been featured by NOWNESS, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and ELLE, and across the USA, Canada, Germany, Norway, Egypt, Vietnam, and Japan. He brings visceral physical expression and strong storytelling to his projects, which often tackle social topics such as the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Eastern Europe, mental health, and the climate crisis. He graduated with a BA in Dance from Columbia University and a Master’s in Human Rights from the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice, Italy.
Antonia Georgieva is a director, dramaturg, and playwright with experience working in the US and the UK. She graduated from Columbia University in New York with a double major in Drama and Creative Writing in 2018 before continuing her training as a director with an MFA in Advanced Theatre Practice at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Over the past few years, she has developed a number of theatre and film projects, which laid the groundwork for her interdisciplinary approach, eclectic style, and interest in adaptation. As a dramaturg and script reader, she has worked with some of the most popular new writing schemes and awards such as the Papatango Playwriting Award and Sky Studios. She also leads workshops in directing and dramaturgy.
Antonia Georgieva
director
Photo Credit: Charlie Sambrook
Carlos Aller
director
Originally from Spain, Carlos Aller’s first contact with the world of dance came in 2005, when he began breakdancing in the streets of his hometown, Valladolid. As he participated in competitions around Spain, he discovered that dance was not only a hobby but a passion. Carlos moved to Berlin in 2012 where he could experience more varieties of dance and demonstrate his skills. Carlos eventually graduated from the Tanzfabrik Berlin dance school, where he developed his style, learned different techniques, and discovered new ways of expression. In 2015, Carlos created his first solo “T.I.M.O.R”. In 2019, he created his second solo “VENENA”. In 2020, he created his third solo “SECRETO”, which is currently touring around Europe. Carlos has also worked with Theater Strahl (Berlin), Dagada Dance Company (Freiburg), La Monnaie De Munt (Brussels), Opera Trista und Isolde, De Dansers (Holland), and choreographers including Fernando Melo, Lorca Renoux, Juan Tirado, Ira Demina, Karolin Stächele, Mikolaj Mikolajczyk, Julia Maria Koch, Pies Merkx, Efrat Stempler, and many more.
The dancers:
Alexander Tsekoff
dancer
Iskra Dukova
dancer
Iskra Daskalova
dancer
Krastyo Metodiev
dancer
Aleksandra Talyokova
dancer
Suzan Georgieva
dancer
Bilyana Tsolova
dancer
Selene Martinez Giron
dancer
Carlos Manuel Aller
dancer
Production Partners: The Last Sunset supports Greenpeace Bulgaria’s mission to tackle climate change and move away from fossil fuel dependency. The creative team presents a dystopian portrait of a future where we have not embraced sustainable energy but have let oligarchic interests destroy people and their health.
The Last Sunset is a co-production of Studio Karakashyan and Goethe-Institut under the mechanism of the International Coproduction Fund and is realized with the support of the National Culture Fund under the program “Socially Engaged Arts,” the Singer-Zahariev Foundation, and Art Office Foundation. The production partners are Greenpeace Bulgaria, Environmental Association “For the Earth,” Regional Landfill for Non-Hazardous Waste – Gabrovo, Museum “House of Humour and Satire,” Gabrovo Biennial of Humour and Satire, Plentix, Regional Center for Contemporary Art “Toplocentrala,” Drama Theatre – Gabrovo, Club-Mate Bulgaria, and Free Spirit.
Photo Credits: Boris Urumov
More materials related to the topic of the project:
Greenpeace Bulgaria – Journey to the Future
Immersive Theatre – The Last Sunset
For upcoming events of the company, follow: Karakashyan & Artists