This artistic presentation, featuring two actors, forms part of Anders Carlsson’s doctoral thesis on Performance Practices, 'Acting Otherwise: Phronesis, the Erotic, and the Ethics of Acting Under Heteronomous Conditions'. The presentation takes the form of an open rehearsal based on 'Resten', a stage work that emerged during the course of his thesis research.
The presentation takes the form of an open rehearsal centred on Resten (The Remainder), a stage work that emerged during the writing of the dissertation. Rather than illustrating the research, the play grew from what resisted incorporation into its argument—a remainder that continued to insist. In this sense, Resten is not a by-product but an artistic kernel that cannot be located within the dissertation’s argument, yet quietly organises its movement. It remains present as a kind of gravitational centre: never fully graspable, yet continuously at work.
The play explores jealousy, desire and relational uncertainty while refusing the conventions of melodrama, where conflicts are quickly resolved into victims and perpetrators, innocence and guilt. Instead, it asks what becomes possible when people remain with unresolved complexity rather than rushing towards explanation or resolution.
The artistic presentation interweaves scenes from Resten with themes and methods from the dissertation. The audience is invited into an open rehearsal where acting, voice, breath and relational improvisation become ways of exploring presence, judgement and intimacy. Rather than illustrating the research, the performance allows artistic practice and scholarly inquiry to unfold within the same performative space.
How long can we remain with unresolved complexity without fleeing, reducing or collapsing?