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Björn Soenens creates a theater tour about America for VRT
Soenens dissects American life and work in a captivating storytelling performance.
Björn Soenens has returned to Flemish soil. The master storyteller of VRT NWS will tour Flanders starting in the fall, bringing stories about the United States. For eight years — two presidential terms — Soenens was the VRT NWS correspondent in America. He brought this vast country closer to millions of Flemings and was a constant source of information and analysis on television, radio, online, and through the award-winning podcast series Björn in the USA. He also wrote six books about America, including the bestsellers The Length of an Ocean (2020) and The Last Whale (2024).
Now, Björn Soenens is taking the stage with a treasure trove of stories from the U.S., after nearly a decade of living and working in New York City and more than 100 reporting trips across almost all 50 U.S. states — from Alaska to Michigan, from Tennessee to Wyoming.
Having worked for VRT for 33 years, Björn Soenens is introducing a new journalistic project with this theater tour for VRT NWS, bringing journalism directly to the audience: live storytelling, face-to-face with a broad public in major Flemish theaters. VRT NWS is thus investing in direct contact between journalists and media consumers. The goal is to bring stories that Soenens has never told before, allowing more time for reflection.
Quote from Björn Soenens: “All American” will be a dynamic performance: about eight years of wild and intense life and work in America, an ocean away. “All American” is about the ordinary American, as well as the legends and lies of American history, looking beyond the familiar day-to-day politics.
Soenens analyzes American reality through personal observations, exploring real life and its darker sides. He tells the stories of America’s heroes and villains, both past and present. A different perspective on America. A different approach from VRT NWS. And Björn Soenens in a different role than on radio, TV, or online.
With All American, Björn Soenens will tour Flanders for VRT NWS, from the Concertgebouw in Bruges to the Capitole in Ghent, from De Warande in Turnhout to the Kursaal Casino in Ostend, from the Silt Casino in Middelkerke to De Werf in Aalst, and the Stadsschouwburg in Antwerp. All American is meant for all Flemings.