Tiny worlds tell a monumental story of World War I

Parsley becomes trees. Sawdust becomes soil. In “The Great War,” Rotterdam’s Hotel Modern transforms the stage into a miniature battlefield, where mud, rain, and the whispered words of soldiers convey the human cost of war.

Using household materials and live filmmaking, the company reconstructs World War I on an astonishingly small scale, revealing its enormity in the process.

Hotel Modern and foley artist Arthur Sauer bring two showings of this one-of-a-kind theatrical experience to the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech on Thursday, Nov. 6, and Friday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m.

Performed live on a miniature set projected on a large screen, the production offers an intimate, visually stunning reconstruction of World War I’s trench warfare, inspired by real letters from soldiers. Rain, wind, landslides, and explosions become staggeringly realistic on this diminutive battlefield as Hotel Modern exposes humanity’s war wounds in this deep, beautiful, and poetic work.​ 

During World War I, 1914-18, millions of soldiers wrote letters to their loved ones from the trenches. Millions died in the fire and the mud, and just like after any war, millions came home with stories that could not be told or could not be heard.

In this live animation film, Hotel Modern and Sauer make the experiences of these soldiers tangible. The audience witnesses the reconstruction of the landscapes of the Western Front on a miniature scale. Sauer provides the soundtrack to the film: a rap on the table sounds like a hand grenade exploding, the striking of a match is mustard gas being released. These images and sounds are interspersed with spoken testimonies and letters to home written by trench soldiers.

Hotel Modern was founded in 1996 by actresses and theatre-makers Pauline Kalker and Arlène Hoornweg. In 1998, visual artist and performer Herman Helle joined them. For each performance, Hotel Modern invites other artists, composers, and performers to collaborate.

Models play a major role in the company’s theatre language: Complete worlds are built on stage, populated by hundreds of characters. The performers film the puppets in the models with mini cameras, and the images are projected at life size. Working with models on stage creates unprecedented possibilities: Hotel Modern brings complete cities, spaceships, submarines, and trench warfare to the theatre.

Recurring themes are the horrors of war, city life, and humanity and its behavior. In a world where polarization and xenophobia dominate the public conversation, Hotel Modern wants to stimulate and fight for open-mindedness, humanity, and pure creativity.

Sauer studied composition and music registration at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and is active as a performer, composer, and visual artist. He created the live-animation artform on which “The Great War” is based. This artform combines visible live sound design and musicmaking, the creation of an animated movie on stage, and simultaneous projection. Currently, he is focused on blending media, socially engaged art practice, public space, focused awareness, and perceptual consciousness.

Hotel Modern and Arthur Sauer were awarded the 2001 CJP Trophy, an annual award by the Dutch Youth Card Association, and the 2002 Prix de Coppet for young European artists distinguished by the originality and diversity of their work.

With its historical focus and intricate storytelling, “The Great War” is best suited for adult audiences. These performances include the use of fire and haze.

“The Great War” is co-sponsored by the Center for Humanities, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, University Libraries, and Corps of Cadets Major General W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development, and supported in part by a gift from Rachel Gabriele and Matthew Gabriele.

Related events

Following each performance, audience members are invited onstage for a unique opportunity to explore the intricate miniature sets and objects that bring “The Great War” to life.

While in Blacksburg, Sauer and the artists of Hotel Modern will explore how art connects with history and the human experience with Virginia Tech faculty and students in the Corps of Cadets as well as history, sociology, and theatre arts classes.

Tickets

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Center for the Arts box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Venue and parking information

The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.