A theatre installation focusing the public attention towards the endangered species of bats Miotis bechsteinii. During the year of the bats (2011) the public attention is focused on the peculiarities of the endangered species of bats’ life thus contributing to the preservation of this rare mammal.

The project’s team:

Idea and Direction: Gergana Dimitrova

Assistant-Director: Vassilena Radeva

Set and costume design: Elena Shopova

video: Elena Shopova and Nikola Nalbantov

live original music: Galina Aleksieva and Sergey Glinkov (lowhum)

sound: Yasen Toshev– MULTISOUND

cast: Rositsca Dicheva, Irina Goleva, Petar Genkov, Petar Meltev and Antonia Hubancheva (scientist- chiropterologist)

chiropterologist: Antonia Hubancheva

Eva Bechstein is a theatre installation with a scientific focus telling a story about the life and adventures of an extraordinary female bat of the Myotis bechsteinii species. The original text was written entirely on the basis of scientific research* (author and director Gergana Dimitrova), introducing us to the main specifics of this unique species of mammals and the social system it has developed, taking up the form of an interesting story. The audience is literally being walked through Eva’s story by a scientist- chiropterologist, clarifying the scientific perspective, and the multitude of steps of the Water Tower are overcome much easier when the musicians start playing and the actors start talking.

Sofia, Bulgaria, 2011

The project is a collaboration with Forum Democrit Organisation and is part of the 2Ways programme, in parthership with the EUSEA programme of the European Commission.

Partners: the National Museum of Natural History and Goethe-Institute Bulgaria, Lozenets Municipality and “Fly Independent” paragliding club.

Presented at: Water Tower Art Festival