Theaterfestival OverActing is a rich mixture of theatre and music, research and art, emotion and reason.

Through performances, lectures, spoken word interventions and workshops, OverActing explores the power of the theatrical traditions of the past, from tragic Greek mythology to comic silent films. Are the pronounced gestures, poses and facial expressions of past centuries incomprehensible to us, or might they form a source of emotional pleasure if we open ourselves up to them? You'll be taken on a journey through human feelings, lovingly painted using the techniques of a lost acting tradition. Confrontational? Perhaps. Exciting? For sure! After experiencing what OverActing has to offer, you will look at contemporary theatre with refreshed eyes.

This festival is organized in collaboration with the Academy of Creative and Performancing Arts (ACPA) of Leiden University. Much scientific (historical) research preceded the performances. The programmer is Jed Wentz, also a researcher and lecturer at ACPA. Actors participating in the festival, such as Alexander Cromer and Joao Luis Paixao, are doctoral students at the university. The lectures, workshops and a symposium surrounding the festival also have a strong link to science. 

One of the biggest components in the program is the Gala theater night: a historically inspired extravaganza on 3 December. 
About this night:
The excitement of an historical evening in the theatre, set in the oldest theatre of the country. Our Saturday gala event in the Leidse Schouwburg will have no intermission, the lights will stay on in the auditorium, and the audience will come and go as they please. Three short one-act play – a drama, a tragedy and a comedy – will be performed with live music, singing and dancing. With 100-year-old theatrical decors from the Vanderberghe collection on stage, historically inspired costumes, and actors using historical gesture and declamation techniques, this will be a night to remember! The music will be performed by the young early music ensemble Postscript.

For more information and the full programme, please click here.