C8H11NO2 is a starkly physical vision of the world of schizophrenia: intense, disturbing, yet intimate and hypnotic – a deeply personal piece inspired by the director's brother and his 35 years long battle with the disease.

C8H11NO2 is a dark ambient mixture of contortion, dislocation, butoh, break dance and experimental electronic music produced by analogue oscillators which opens the door of the schizophrenic world to viewer’s perspective as a specific kind of extremely elevated, creative consciousness, neither making the condition of the disorder scandalized nor pathetic.

The encrypted title of performance is a chemical code for dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that goes wild while a person is in a psychotic state of mind. The audience is led into the performance by an intimate confession of the director's brother, who is suffering from schizophrenia, which is followed by physical reaction of the director. Live human bodies become the main material for modeling and creation of kinetic forms. The director sees them as incubators for the development of schizophrenic disease that devastates, distorts and tears them apart to a complete loss of identity.

Usage of water on the stage gives a special dimension to set design where water breaks the space and creates an illusion. As a symbol of life, water revives the object that reflects on its surface – body without identity. Boundaries between reality and illusion fade out as the body gets in touch with the imaginary creature: the director himself. Making this contact helps him to answer: who is he? Is he real? What makes him and defines him as real? While looking for answers he unites with imaginary creatures, freed from human forms.

C8H11NO2, the first performance by contemporary circus collective ROOM 100 from Split, Croatia, stunned the jury members of the Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe 2010 project and earned them a title of most prospective young contemporary circus company in Europe, being critically acclaimed as an ”exceptional example of an intelligent, accurate, deliberate and intensive work”.

C8H11NO2 premiered in Paris in September 2011 and until 2015 has been performed at contemporary circus, contemporary dance and performing arts festivals in France, USA, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania and Croatia.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS Antonia Kuzmanić established the company ROOM 100 with Jakov Labrović in 2010. Room 100 researched the topic of schizophrenia since 2008, to deepen our understanding of neurodiversity and to raise the awareness and sensibility of the public about its different dimensions and complexities. With their performance C8H11NO2 they were 2009-2010 laureates of Jeunes Talents Cirque (later renamed circusnext). They went on to perform the piece in the USA, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania and Croatia. Today, ROOM 100 devises projects to strengthen the contemporary circus scene in Croatia, and runs the residency space HALA 100.

CREDITS Interpretation: ROOM 100 (Antonia Kuzmanić and Jakov Labrović) Direction: Jakov Labrović Music and sounds: Davor Gazde Video: Jakov Labrović Set design and lights: Jakov Labrović, Antonia Kuzmanić Costumes: Jakov Labrović, Ivan Labrović Artistic collaboration: Angela Laurier Outside eye: Ivan Labrović Stage assistant: Jere Kuzmanić Production: Positive Force / ROOM 100 Coproduction: Les Migrateurs – associés pour les Arts du Cirque + Le-Maillon – Théâtre de Strasbourg, Scène Européenne, Perforations – Week of live art Residencies: La Cascade – Maison des Arts du Clown et du Cirque, Les Migrateurs – associés pour les Arts du Cirque + Pole Sud, Scène Conventionnée pour la Danse et la Musique, Akvarij + Split City Puppet Theatre Support: Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe, Paris' City Hall, Republic of Croatia Ministry of Culture, Split – Dalmatia County – Department of Education, Culture and Sport, City of Split – Department for Culture and Arts Acknowledgments: Ivan Kralj

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Medium: Stage Performance Materials: Bodies, water, and analog oscillators Length: 60’ Year: 2011 Presentations: C8H11NO2 premiered on September 29th, 2011 at Academie Fratellini (Paris, France). Since then, it has been performed in renowned venues and festivals worldwide, including Queer New York International Arts (USA), LAVA in Valladolid (Spain), WHS Teatteri Union (Finland), La Folia in Belgium, and Zadar Snova in Croatia. Highlights also include appearances at IETM Plenary Meeting and Perforations in Zagreb, Mirabilia Festival in Italy, ZOOM sur Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe in France, Montpellier Danse, as well as residencies and selections across Europe.