TEATRET DRAGEN to TEATRET KOSMOS: A HISTORY

When Maria Lexa came to Denmark in 1980, she performed her solo comic performance, Tango and her performance - demonstration “Kaleidoscope”. When it became clear that she would stay in Denmark, she established a theatre with the name Teatret Dragen, or in English, “Dragon Theatre,” to represent her solo shows.

An extended theatre course which Maria taught in Århus in 1981 evolved into a theatre group with 9 actors and Maria Lexa at the helm as artistic director. Teatret Dragen expanded to include Teatergruppen Dragen. The group produced two performances, Dragespillet (The Dragon Play) and Omnium, which toured in Denmark and abroad through 1984.

In the ensuing years, Maria Lexa developed her solo repertoire, under the aegis of Teatret Dragen. In 1986, in collaboration with French director Bernard Colin, she created L”Odysée Illustrée, a solo performance about the classic Greek epic, in which she plays all the characters and journeys through a variety of theatrical forms. In 1991, she and Colin again collaborated on Kilden (The Source), a solo mask performance about the medieval legend of Parsifal and his search for the Holy Grail. These performances toured for more than a decade.

Since 2001, Maria Lexa has been artistic director of Sun & Moon Ensemble in San Francisco. Parallel to this, Teatret Dragen remained as the framework for Maria Lexa’s solo works and collaborations with performing groups, educational institutions, and theatre projects in Denmark.
In 2013, Maria Lexa led master classes for the mask theatre group Dunkelfolket from Alborg, and co-directed their 2014 performance, Snehvide. In 2014, in collaboration with Quonga Teaternetværk, Maria Lexa directed Medea, Medea, an original work with 12 performers, which premiered at QuongaFest in Århus, and subsequently toured the region.

In summer 2017, Maria Lexa directed KOSMOS, an outdoor performance featuring theatre, dance, comedy, giant puppets, mask theatre, and live music. During Aarhus Festuge (Århus Festival Week) 2017-18, the production was presented at Kvindemuseet, (The Womens’ Museum) and also toured Denmark. Thus KOSMOS Theatre, or Teatret KOSMOS was born, and took over the identity of Teatret Dragen. In 2019, KOSMOS Theatre produced with great success KOSMOS Good Life Optog Parade during Aarhus Festival Week, and in 2020 the project will be expanded. Teatret KOSMOS is also a member of DATS (Landsforening for Dramatisk Virksomhed)