HIKARU
HIKARU
ParaMana Puppet Theatre
Object Theatre
Day: Saturday, 13 September 2025
Time: 21:15
Venue: SYNERGEIO Culture Space
An installation of light and shadow in motion, a dive into the world of the unconscious.
Shadows are built, transformed, and dissolved, revealing meanings that, depending on the audience’s viewing angle, can be interpreted on multiple levels, while the soundscapes of electroacoustic music (Eliane Radigue) intensify the fine line between reality and illusion. A unique theatrical experience that invites viewers to surrender to a fluid interplay of light, shadow, and meaning—a dreamlike world where perception, reality, and illusion dance as one. Hikaru means “ray of light” in Japanese and symbolizes that bright beam of light that reveals the parts of ourselves that often remain unclear, offering—even if only momentarily—clarity and a deeper understanding of our inner world. Hikaru is the main character who, through a journey of coming of age, discovers his deeper, essential self. He is confronted with his duality and he must choose. Which of the two will he choose? Light or darkness?
Technique
Our visual approach is based on the principles of Contemporary Experimental Shadow and Object Theater. We construct and design images using analog methods, with the use of light and shadow, physical theater, masks, mirrors, objects, prisms, and projections of drawings. We use simplicity and rely exclusively on analog means; all the lights in the performance are handheld flashlights. Transformation-distortion is a key element of the performance, while shadow, light and projection angles function as symbols and metaphors.
At the end of the performance, we invite the audience to remain in the space and tour the installation. We emphasize meaningful communication and connection between the audience and the artists in order to exchange thoughts and impressions. Viewers will have the opportunity to explore the objects, mirrors, light and shadows, to familiarize themselves with the art of Contemporary Experimental Shadow & Object Theater, as well as to discuss with the performers their impressions, thoughts and feelings about the work. Our goal is for this art form to bring the audience closer to the artist in a dialogue that promotes critical thinking, discovery, and interaction.
CONTRIBUTORS
Concept: Anastasia Parava, Damiano Privitera
Text compilation: Antigoni Voutsina
Microscopic figures, drawings, transparencies: Stathis Tseberlidis
Masks: Damiano Privitera
Direction, set design: Anastasia Parava, Damiano Privitera
Movement, shadow animation, lighting, narration: Anastasia Parava
Electro-acoustic sound, soundscape: Éliane Radigue
Music: Arvo Pärt, Joesef
Communication material design: Kaascat
Video – Teaser: Nikos Korakakis
Photographs: Vangelis Paravas
Excerpts from texts by Mary Oliver & Clarice Lispector are heard.
Production: ParaMana Puppet Theatre, Terra Galleggiante, Teatro del Lavoro
ParaMana Puppet Theatre was founded in 2006 and operates between Greece and Italy, developing a unique visual identity in the field of Contemporary Experimental Shadow and Object Theater. With experimentation at its core and light, shadow, objects, and movement as its starting point, it creates atmospheric worlds that touch the subconscious and stimulate the viewer’s deeper connection with the ritualistic experience of art.
The group’s work draws inspiration from myth, the primitive, and the ritualistic, while its performances are characterized by visual clarity, originality, and narrative power. The element of slowness, consciously incorporated into the dramaturgy and rhythm of the works, enhances the possibility of reflection and inner tranquility, offering the viewer time to feel, observe, and connect.
By choosing analog means and building soundscapes—with combinations of acoustic instruments, sound generators, and synthesizers—ParaMana composes multisensory experiences that focus on the relationship and connection with the audience, transforming each performance into a field of personal and collective experience.
Since 2010, ParaMana Puppet Theatre develops a steady presence in the educational community, with performances in primary and secondary schools throughout Greece, while its works have been presented at international festivals and cultural institutions in Greece and abroad. Each performance is a ritual narrative.