The artist collective MONTAЖSTROJ (Matija Blašković, Konrad Mulvaj and Borut Šeparović) is responsible for the stage design, video, and multimedia for the Zagreb Youth Theatre’s play FOOTBALL BOOT TONGUE by Ivan Ergić and Filip Grujić, directed by Borut Šeparović. The premiere took place on September 21, 2024.
MONTAЖSTROJ’s stage design and video for FOOTBALL BOOT TONGUE represent an innovative synthesis of contemporary technology and theater art, creating a multidimensional and interactive experience that encompasses the themes of football, depression, and surveillance capitalism. The central stage is designed to be minimalist and modular and evoke the atmosphere of a large locker room with benches and hangers, which emphasizes the protagonists’ sense of isolation and introspection. This simple physical frame in a grid serves as a contrast to the advanced technology that dominates the stage and symbolizes how individuals get lost in the complexity of contemporary society.
The back of the stage is enclosed by a large video wall that projects intense, magnified images from the lives of the football players, including moments of triumph and failure that reflect their inner struggles with depression. A three-part curved screen above the proscenium simultaneously displays different perspectives of the same scene, symbolizing the fragmentation of identity and perception in an era of surveillance capitalism. The projections also include telemetric data from the performers, such as heart rate and speed, transmitted in real time, allowing the audience to see the physical and emotional burdens that the athletes carry, further emphasizing the pressure of constant surveillance.
The technological sophistication of the scenography is manifested through the use of the PlayStation 5 console to generate interactive video content from the EA SPORTS™ FC game, surveillance cameras that monitor the movements of the actors and send a signal in real time, and mobile devices equipped with NDI software to transmit video calls between two iPhones. These elements reflect the way in which modern technology has become an instrument of surveillance and control, affecting the privacy and mental health of individuals. The iPad displays data from the Polar Team Pro app connected to the Polar H10 heart rate monitor, further highlighting society’s obsession with quantifying and monetizing every aspect of human life.
The simulation of media pressure and online commentary projected onto screens illustrates the constant surveillance and expectations that players face in the context of surveillance capitalism. Surveillance cameras and live feeds enhance the sense of authenticity and pressure, providing different perspectives of the events on stage and allowing the audience to follow the events from multiple perspectives at the same time. This continuous monitoring reflects how modern society uses technology for surveillance and control, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression in individuals.
High-tech props such as VO2 Max masks and other training equipment add to the authenticity of the depiction of the grueling training and physical challenges imposed on athletes, but also symbolize the dehumanization and commodification of the body in professional sports. Combining the actors’ physical performance with advanced technology, the stage design explores, in depth, the themes of identity, success, and mental health in the context of football and a broader social context, influenced by surveillance capitalism.
The physical exertions on stage reflect the emotional struggles and pressures the players face, while technological elements highlight the external factors that influence their perception and value. The projections of the players’ inner thoughts, feelings, and fears onto the screens create a rich narrative layering, allowing the audience to understand more deeply the complexities of the experiences of athletes struggling with depression in a world where privacy is violated by constant surveillance.
The stage design uses modern technology to create a dynamic and multi-sensory atmosphere, allowing the audience to gain insight into the play’s themes, which encompass football as a metaphor for social dynamics, personal identities, and the struggle with mental health in the era of surveillance capitalism. The interaction between projected images, digital displays and real actors on stage creates a layered, multimedia experience. Through innovative use of multimedia and interactive elements, the play encourages the audience to reflect on the price of success, the pressures of professional sports, the impact of technology on privacy and mental health, and the true meaning of triumph, in life and on the field.
