The punk rock band “The Sex Doctors” call a spade a spade. In search of the epitome of some awesome songs, the four sex experts explore the vast field of sexuality. Very little remains concealed: neither Dr. Dorian’s ejaculation problems, nor Dr. Helga’s interest in the animalistic, or Dr. Ruth’s whip fetish. Sex rules in every possible way, so let’s not make a big deal of it! The birds and the bees are explained, using everything available: with a whiteboard and an overhead projector, with a picture-book of the Kamasutra, two hand puppets “Pussy” and “Pimmel”, crude models of male and female genitals made out of balloons, pipes, a music stand and a tuba. However, despite the birds and the bees, emotions constantly play a crazy, although important role in any sexual discovery. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Thomas U. Hostettler, Vivien Bullert, Gustavo Nanez DIRECTION Kolypan, Sebastian Nübling ASSISTANT Michael Steiner TEXT Kolypan MUSIC Gustavo Nanez SOUND Gustavo Nanez SCENOGRAPHY Pipo Schreiber SET DESIGN Sara Giancane LIGHT DESIGN Pipo Schreiber COSTUMES Sara Giancane PHOTO Judith Schönenberger PREMIERE Theater Schlachthaus Bern, 11/2007 PRODUCTION Cristina Achermann COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Schlachthaus Theater Bern SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur, Pro Helvetia, Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, SIS Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung INTERNET www.kolypan.ch

Kolypan
Kolypan was founded at the beginning of 2000 by Fabienne Hadorn and Gustavo Nanez with the aim to realise multidisciplinary projects. The result: a CD project, a musical puppet theatre, a life coaching show with integrated reality soap, the musical “Heidi”, and a boat movie for three goddesses; now the birds and the bees show. 

Why are there no princes in Switzerland, actually? Fritz, Franz and Ferdinand are to blame. Because of their cocky behaviour, the triplet princes have been magically turned into cockerels. Only the kiss of a genuine princess can save them. The three set off on an adventurous trip to a fairytale world. There is danger on the horizon: Little Red Riding Hood’s wolf is right on their heels and is ravenous for poultry… Will Fritz, Franz and Ferdinand make it or will they remain cockerels forever? Theater Gustavs Schwestern presents a captivatingly absurd new puppet show. 

WITH Jacqueline Surer, Sibylle Grüter DIRECTION Priska Praxmarer DRAMATURGY Theater Gustavs Schwestern TEXT Jacqueline Surer, Sibylle Grüter SCENOGRAPHY Theater Gustavs Schwestern SET DESIGN Peter Affentranger LIGHT DESIGN Daniel Meier PHOTO Martin Volken PREMIERE Theater Stadelhofen, Zürich 01/2008 PRODUCTION Theater Gustavs Schwestern INTERNET www.gustavsschwestern.ch

Theater Gustavs Schwestern
Theater Gustavs Schwestern was founded in 2005 by Sibylle Grüter and Jacqueline Surer. They met in 2002 whilst taking a postgraduate course in puppetry at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HMT) Zürich. The aim of this Zurich puppetry team is to stage new and unconventional puppet shows for children and adults.

The punk rock band “The Sex Doctors” call a spade a spade. In search of the epitome of some awesome songs, the four sex experts explore the vast field of sexuality. Very little remains concealed: neither Dr. Dorian’s ejaculation problems, nor Dr. Helga’s interest in the animalistic, or Dr. Ruth’s whip fetish. Sex rules in every possible way, so let’s not make a big deal of it! The birds and the bees are explained, using everything available: with a whiteboard and an overhead projector, with a picture-book of the Kamasutra, two hand puppets “Pussy” and “Pimmel”, crude models of male and female genitals made out of balloons, pipes, a music stand and a tuba. However, despite the birds and the bees, emotions constantly play a crazy, although important role in any sexual discovery. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Thomas U. Hostettler, Vivien Bullert, Gustavo Nanez DIRECTION Kolypan, Sebastian Nübling ASSISTANT Michael Steiner TEXT Kolypan MUSIC Gustavo Nanez SOUND Gustavo Nanez SCENOGRAPHY Pipo Schreiber SET DESIGN Sara Giancane LIGHT DESIGN Pipo Schreiber COSTUMES Sara Giancane PHOTO Judith Schönenberger PREMIERE Theater Schlachthaus Bern, 11/2007 PRODUCTION Cristina Achermann COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Schlachthaus Theater Bern SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur, Pro Helvetia, Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, SIS Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung INTERNET www.kolypan.ch

Kolypan
Kolypan was founded at the beginning of 2000 by Fabienne Hadorn and Gustavo Nanez with the aim to realise multidisciplinary projects. The result: a CD project, a musical puppet theatre, a life coaching show with integrated reality soap, the musical “Heidi”, and a boat movie for three goddesses; now the birds and the bees show. 

Why are there no princes in Switzerland, actually? Fritz, Franz and Ferdinand are to blame. Because of their cocky behaviour, the triplet princes have been magically turned into cockerels. Only the kiss of a genuine princess can save them. The three set off on an adventurous trip to a fairytale world. There is danger on the horizon: Little Red Riding Hood’s wolf is right on their heels and is ravenous for poultry… Will Fritz, Franz and Ferdinand make it or will they remain cockerels forever? Theater Gustavs Schwestern presents a captivatingly absurd new puppet show. 

WITH Jacqueline Surer, Sibylle Grüter DIRECTION Priska Praxmarer DRAMATURGY Theater Gustavs Schwestern TEXT Jacqueline Surer, Sibylle Grüter SCENOGRAPHY Theater Gustavs Schwestern SET DESIGN Peter Affentranger LIGHT DESIGN Daniel Meier PHOTO Martin Volken PREMIERE Theater Stadelhofen, Zürich 01/2008 PRODUCTION Theater Gustavs Schwestern INTERNET www.gustavsschwestern.ch

Theater Gustavs Schwestern
Theater Gustavs Schwestern was founded in 2005 by Sibylle Grüter and Jacqueline Surer. They met in 2002 whilst taking a postgraduate course in puppetry at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HMT) Zürich. The aim of this Zurich puppetry team is to stage new and unconventional puppet shows for children and adults.

The spectator’s cell-phone is ringing. A voice orders him to observe a person named Black. The voice puts the observer via cell-phone on the track. The observer follows Black to different locations in the city. The city and its everyday life increasingly transform into a backdrop – reality’s credibility is at stake. The voice in the observer’s ears is like a stranger’s request at times, and at others like a commentary of the observer’s movements and perceptions – almost as though the observer was talking to himself, as if it were his own inner voice he was unswervingly listening to. In the process, the observer digs deeper and deeper into the city, into the story, into Black. The observer gradually gets sucked into a maelstrom of his cognitive stroll and is therefore increasingly the focus of his own concerns: the observer becomes the main character in the film taking place in his own head. 

WITH Miriam Fiordeponti, Sascha Gersak, Wowo Habdank, Dominique Müller, Andrea Schmid, Luc Müller DIRECTION Bernhard Mikeska ASSISTANCE Charlotte von Bausznern TEXT Paul Auster DRAMATURGY Andreas Regelsberger SOUND DESIGN Martin Wigger SCENOGRAPHY Bernhard Mikeska, Dominic Huber, Andreas Regelsberger SET DESIGN Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger COSTUMES Esther Krapiwnikow PHOTO Lisa Biedlingsmaier TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Jan Goettgens PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 10/2007 PRODUCTION mikeska:plus:blendwerk COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich SUPPORT Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Pro Helvetia; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Migros Kulturprozent INTERNET www.bernhardmikeska.de, www.blendwerk.ch

mikeska:plus:blendwerk
mikeska:plus:blendwerk consists of Bernhard Mikeska and Dominic Huber. After completing his doctorate in theoretical physics, Bernhard Mikeska now works as an independant director. Dominic Huber works as a stage designer after having graduated as an architect. The team works regularly with blendwerk co-founder, Christa Wenger (light and video) and actors from Zurich.

The spectator’s cell-phone is ringing. A voice orders him to observe a person named Black. The voice puts the observer via cell-phone on the track. The observer follows Black to different locations in the city. The city and its everyday life increasingly transform into a backdrop – reality’s credibility is at stake. The voice in the observer’s ears is like a stranger’s request at times, and at others like a commentary of the observer’s movements and perceptions – almost as though the observer was talking to himself, as if it were his own inner voice he was unswervingly listening to. In the process, the observer digs deeper and deeper into the city, into the story, into Black. The observer gradually gets sucked into a maelstrom of his cognitive stroll and is therefore increasingly the focus of his own concerns: the observer becomes the main character in the film taking place in his own head. 

WITH Miriam Fiordeponti, Sascha Gersak, Wowo Habdank, Dominique Müller, Andrea Schmid, Luc Müller DIRECTION Bernhard Mikeska ASSISTANCE Charlotte von Bausznern TEXT Paul Auster DRAMATURGY Andreas Regelsberger SOUND DESIGN Martin Wigger SCENOGRAPHY Bernhard Mikeska, Dominic Huber, Andreas Regelsberger SET DESIGN Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger COSTUMES Esther Krapiwnikow PHOTO Lisa Biedlingsmaier TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Jan Goettgens PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 10/2007 PRODUCTION mikeska:plus:blendwerk COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich SUPPORT Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Pro Helvetia; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Migros Kulturprozent INTERNET www.bernhardmikeska.de, www.blendwerk.ch

mikeska:plus:blendwerk
mikeska:plus:blendwerk consists of Bernhard Mikeska and Dominic Huber. After completing his doctorate in theoretical physics, Bernhard Mikeska now works as an independant director. Dominic Huber works as a stage designer after having graduated as an architect. The team works regularly with blendwerk co-founder, Christa Wenger (light and video) and actors from Zurich.

“Text to speech” is a computer programme in which the written language has been transformed into spoken word. Texts from the Internet, voices, music, sound vibrations and the projection of images onto screens are all part of Gilles Jobin’s choreography creating unique and poetic scenery in which concrete, vivid images move between reality and their distortion: a plot between humour and discomfort. With astute abstraction and hypnotic poetry, the choreographer scrutinises the effects of current news on the audience, their bodies and their psyches. 

WITH Jean-Pierre Bonomo, Gilles Jobin, Richard Kaboré, Sung-Im Kweon, Susana Panadès Diaz, Rudi Van der Merwe CHOREOGRAPHY Gilles Jobin MUSIC Cristian Vogel TEXT SOURCES Wikipedia / Internet, rewritten by / réécrits par Gilles Jobin and Jean-Pierre Bonomo SCENOGRAPHY Gilles Jobin CONSTRUCTION OF TABLES Victor Roy LIGHT DESIGN Daniel Demont SYNTHETIC VOICES Alice, Bruno, Claire, Graham, Louise, Peter, Pierre PHOTO Dorothée Thébert PREMIERE Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy 03/2008 PRODUCTION Cie Gilles Jobin COPRODUCTION Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy; Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Ville de Genève; Canton de Genève; Pro Helvetia; La Loterie Romande; Acapela Group. Gilles Jobin is an associated artist of Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy INTERNET www.gillesjobin.com

Gilles Jobin
Gilles Jobin is one of the most important choreographers in Switzerland’s present dance scene. He has thrilled over 100,000 spectators in more than 23 countries, among them: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, England, Finland, France, Holland, Italy, Korea, Croatia, Mozambique, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Czech Republic, Tunisia etc.

“Text to speech” is a computer programme in which the written language has been transformed into spoken word. Texts from the Internet, voices, music, sound vibrations and the projection of images onto screens are all part of Gilles Jobin’s choreography creating unique and poetic scenery in which concrete, vivid images move between reality and their distortion: a plot between humour and discomfort. With astute abstraction and hypnotic poetry, the choreographer scrutinises the effects of current news on the audience, their bodies and their psyches. 

WITH Jean-Pierre Bonomo, Gilles Jobin, Richard Kaboré, Sung-Im Kweon, Susana Panadès Diaz, Rudi Van der Merwe CHOREOGRAPHY Gilles Jobin MUSIC Cristian Vogel TEXT SOURCES Wikipedia / Internet, rewritten by / réécrits par Gilles Jobin and Jean-Pierre Bonomo SCENOGRAPHY Gilles Jobin CONSTRUCTION OF TABLES Victor Roy LIGHT DESIGN Daniel Demont SYNTHETIC VOICES Alice, Bruno, Claire, Graham, Louise, Peter, Pierre PHOTO Dorothée Thébert PREMIERE Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy 03/2008 PRODUCTION Cie Gilles Jobin COPRODUCTION Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy; Théâtre de la Ville, Paris; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Ville de Genève; Canton de Genève; Pro Helvetia; La Loterie Romande; Acapela Group. Gilles Jobin is an associated artist of Bonlieu Scène nationale, Annecy INTERNET www.gillesjobin.com

Gilles Jobin
Gilles Jobin is one of the most important choreographers in Switzerland’s present dance scene. He has thrilled over 100,000 spectators in more than 23 countries, among them: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, England, Finland, France, Holland, Italy, Korea, Croatia, Mozambique, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Czech Republic, Tunisia etc.

The punk rock band “The Sex Doctors” call a spade a spade. In search of the epitome of some awesome songs, the four sex experts explore the vast field of sexuality. Very little remains concealed: neither Dr. Dorian’s ejaculation problems, nor Dr. Helga’s interest in the animalistic, or Dr. Ruth’s whip fetish. Sex rules in every possible way, so let’s not make a big deal of it! The birds and the bees are explained, using everything available: with a whiteboard and an overhead projector, with a picture-book of the Kamasutra, two hand puppets “Pussy” and “Pimmel”, crude models of male and female genitals made out of balloons, pipes, a music stand and a tuba. However, despite the birds and the bees, emotions constantly play a crazy, although important role in any sexual discovery. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Thomas U. Hostettler, Vivien Bullert, Gustavo Nanez DIRECTION Kolypan, Sebastian Nübling ASSISTANT Michael Steiner TEXT Kolypan MUSIC Gustavo Nanez SOUND Gustavo Nanez SCENOGRAPHY Pipo Schreiber SET DESIGN Sara Giancane LIGHT DESIGN Pipo Schreiber COSTUMES Sara Giancane PHOTO Judith Schönenberger PREMIERE Theater Schlachthaus Bern, 11/2007 PRODUCTION Cristina Achermann COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Schlachthaus Theater Bern SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur, Pro Helvetia, Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, SIS Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung INTERNET www.kolypan.ch

Kolypan
Kolypan was founded at the beginning of 2000 by Fabienne Hadorn and Gustavo Nanez with the aim to realise multidisciplinary projects. The result: a CD project, a musical puppet theatre, a life coaching show with integrated reality soap, the musical “Heidi”, and a boat movie for three goddesses; now the birds and the bees show. 

The punk rock band “The Sex Doctors” call a spade a spade. In search of the epitome of some awesome songs, the four sex experts explore the vast field of sexuality. Very little remains concealed: neither Dr. Dorian’s ejaculation problems, nor Dr. Helga’s interest in the animalistic, or Dr. Ruth’s whip fetish. Sex rules in every possible way, so let’s not make a big deal of it! The birds and the bees are explained, using everything available: with a whiteboard and an overhead projector, with a picture-book of the Kamasutra, two hand puppets “Pussy” and “Pimmel”, crude models of male and female genitals made out of balloons, pipes, a music stand and a tuba. However, despite the birds and the bees, emotions constantly play a crazy, although important role in any sexual discovery. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Thomas U. Hostettler, Vivien Bullert, Gustavo Nanez DIRECTION Kolypan, Sebastian Nübling ASSISTANT Michael Steiner TEXT Kolypan MUSIC Gustavo Nanez SOUND Gustavo Nanez SCENOGRAPHY Pipo Schreiber SET DESIGN Sara Giancane LIGHT DESIGN Pipo Schreiber COSTUMES Sara Giancane PHOTO Judith Schönenberger PREMIERE Theater Schlachthaus Bern, 11/2007 PRODUCTION Cristina Achermann COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Schlachthaus Theater Bern SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur, Pro Helvetia, Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, SIS Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung INTERNET www.kolypan.ch

Kolypan
Kolypan was founded at the beginning of 2000 by Fabienne Hadorn and Gustavo Nanez with the aim to realise multidisciplinary projects. The result: a CD project, a musical puppet theatre, a life coaching show with integrated reality soap, the musical “Heidi”, and a boat movie for three goddesses; now the birds and the bees show. 

By its very nature, the family is held together by terror. The children of the earliest theatricals tragedies, Orest and Electra, experience the fact that the terror between parents and children can only be surpassed by postfamilial terror: when brothers and sisters have taken their places and tear each other apart. Shakespeare‘s royal drama uses the Lear’s family party as a point of departure during which everything revolves around a single question: inheritance, a very contemporary theme. In her production, Barbara Weber goes back and forth between bloody scenes from King Lear and family therapy, quoting other extended families along the way: a fast and bold performance. 

WITH Michael Haves, Rahel Hubacher, Yvon Jansen, Anne Ratte-Polle, Sebastian Rudolph DIRECTION Barbara Weber DRAMATURGY Mathias Lilienthal, Max-Philip Aschenbrenner TEXT Barbara Weber & Ensemble nach William Shakespeare MUSIC Michael Haves LIGHT DESIGN Hans Leser SCENOGRAPHY Janina Audick SET DESIGN Janina Audick COSTUMES Janina Audick PHOTO Barbara Braun PREMIERE brut im Künstlerhaus, Wiener Festwochen, 06/2008 PRODUCTION brut im Künstlerhaus, Wien für Wiener Festwochen COPRODUCTION Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; Theater Neumarkt, Zürich SUPPORT Haupstadtkulturfonds Berlin, Familie-Vontobel-Stiftung INTERNET www.barbaraweber.ch

Barbara Weber
Barbara Weber studied directing in Hamburg and formed her own theatre company in 2001. Barbara Weber is known for her «unplugged» evening projects; putting on stage major themes using little means and a lot of imagination, she deals with Hollywood myths like “Star Wars”, celebrities like Michael Jackson or even the Red Army Faction.

Is it possible to tell a gripping story without saying one word? Yes, it is! For Ohne Rolf, talking is about scrolling – through placards; they “converse” with each other in a bizarre world that looks similar to ours. Their placards are an alienating reflection in which we recognise ourselves – sometimes alarming, but always with a smile. Now the duo scrolls its placards onto the next chapter: Ohne Rolf come by an offspring – “Schreibhals”, a keen little writer has its say! The second programme promises silent nonsense. Everyday paperwork takes on hilarious, surprising dimensions. There is laughter between the lines. You listen with your eyes. The duo manages to get the audience to hold its breath right up until the last minute and they pull off their stunt by using 1000 placards, each one with short sentences printed on them. 

WITH Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub CONCEPT Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub DIRECTION Dominique Müller DRAMATURGY Dominique Müller PHOTO Ohne Rolf PRODUCTION Barbara Anderhub

Ohne Rolf
Ohne Rolf tried their placard idea for the first time in 1999: they set themselves up motionless on the streets, holding up a piece of A4 paper in front of them, with the following written on it: “There’s nothing to see here”. The more they tried to persuade passersby not to look at them, the greater the interest their audience showed. Then they knew an idea was born!

The army of the Persian King Dareios was defeated by the Athenians in the battle at Marathon in the year 490 BC. Ten years later, his son Xerxes went to war with a fleet of over 1000 ships to get revenge for the humiliation of the defeat. Tormented by terrifying dreams and premonitions, Atossa, the Persian King’s mother awaits news from the battle front at Salamis. An envoy has managed to escape and reports on the battle’s inhuman atrocities. The Greeks, although greatly outnumbered, lured the Persian fleet in an ambush and destroyed it.. Only King Xerxes and a small troop of soldiers have managed to escape. Xerxes returns from the battlefield heavily scarred, most of the soldiers having perished, the people of Persia annihilated. 

WITH  Jean-Pierre Cornu, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Daniel Lommatzsch, Oliver Masucci, Catrin Striebeck DIRECTION Stefan Pucher DRAMATURGY Klaus Missbach TEXT Aischylos MUSIC Arvild Baud VIDEO Meika Dresenkamp SET DESIGN Barbara Ehnes LIGHT DESIGN Sascha Haenschke COSTUMES Tina Klömpken PHOTO Stefan Pucher by Leonard Zubler PREMIERE Schauspielhaus Zürich, 10/2008

Schauspielhaus Zürich 
Stefan Pucher, whose “Oresteia” by Aeschylos was already performed in Zurich, has staged the oldest play in world literature, in which the consequences of a ruthless war are brutally dissected.

By its very nature, the family is held together by terror. The children of the earliest theatricals tragedies, Orest and Electra, experience the fact that the terror between parents and children can only be surpassed by postfamilial terror: when brothers and sisters have taken their places and tear each other apart. Shakespeare‘s royal drama uses the Lear’s family party as a point of departure during which everything revolves around a single question: inheritance, a very contemporary theme. In her production, Barbara Weber goes back and forth between bloody scenes from King Lear and family therapy, quoting other extended families along the way: a fast and bold performance. 

WITH Michael Haves, Rahel Hubacher, Yvon Jansen, Anne Ratte-Polle, Sebastian Rudolph DIRECTION Barbara Weber DRAMATURGY Mathias Lilienthal, Max-Philip Aschenbrenner TEXT Barbara Weber & Ensemble nach William Shakespeare MUSIC Michael Haves LIGHT DESIGN Hans Leser SCENOGRAPHY Janina Audick SET DESIGN Janina Audick COSTUMES Janina Audick PHOTO Barbara Braun PREMIERE brut im Künstlerhaus, Wiener Festwochen, 06/2008 PRODUCTION brut im Künstlerhaus, Wien für Wiener Festwochen COPRODUCTION Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; Theater Neumarkt, Zürich SUPPORT Haupstadtkulturfonds Berlin, Familie-Vontobel-Stiftung INTERNET www.barbaraweber.ch

Barbara Weber
Barbara Weber studied directing in Hamburg and formed her own theatre company in 2001. Barbara Weber is known for her «unplugged» evening projects; putting on stage major themes using little means and a lot of imagination, she deals with Hollywood myths like “Star Wars”, celebrities like Michael Jackson or even the Red Army Faction.

Is it possible to tell a gripping story without saying one word? Yes, it is! For Ohne Rolf, talking is about scrolling – through placards; they “converse” with each other in a bizarre world that looks similar to ours. Their placards are an alienating reflection in which we recognise ourselves – sometimes alarming, but always with a smile. Now the duo scrolls its placards onto the next chapter: Ohne Rolf come by an offspring – “Schreibhals”, a keen little writer has its say! The second programme promises silent nonsense. Everyday paperwork takes on hilarious, surprising dimensions. There is laughter between the lines. You listen with your eyes. The duo manages to get the audience to hold its breath right up until the last minute and they pull off their stunt by using 1000 placards, each one with short sentences printed on them. 

WITH Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub CONCEPT Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub DIRECTION Dominique Müller DRAMATURGY Dominique Müller PHOTO Ohne Rolf PRODUCTION Barbara Anderhub

Ohne Rolf
Ohne Rolf tried their placard idea for the first time in 1999: they set themselves up motionless on the streets, holding up a piece of A4 paper in front of them, with the following written on it: “There’s nothing to see here”. The more they tried to persuade passersby not to look at them, the greater the interest their audience showed. Then they knew an idea was born!

The army of the Persian King Dareios was defeated by the Athenians in the battle at Marathon in the year 490 BC. Ten years later, his son Xerxes went to war with a fleet of over 1000 ships to get revenge for the humiliation of the defeat. Tormented by terrifying dreams and premonitions, Atossa, the Persian King’s mother awaits news from the battle front at Salamis. An envoy has managed to escape and reports on the battle’s inhuman atrocities. The Greeks, although greatly outnumbered, lured the Persian fleet in an ambush and destroyed it.. Only King Xerxes and a small troop of soldiers have managed to escape. Xerxes returns from the battlefield heavily scarred, most of the soldiers having perished, the people of Persia annihilated. 

WITH  Jean-Pierre Cornu, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Daniel Lommatzsch, Oliver Masucci, Catrin Striebeck DIRECTION Stefan Pucher DRAMATURGY Klaus Missbach TEXT Aischylos MUSIC Arvild Baud VIDEO Meika Dresenkamp SET DESIGN Barbara Ehnes LIGHT DESIGN Sascha Haenschke COSTUMES Tina Klömpken PHOTO Stefan Pucher by Leonard Zubler PREMIERE Schauspielhaus Zürich, 10/2008

Schauspielhaus Zürich 
Stefan Pucher, whose “Oresteia” by Aeschylos was already performed in Zurich, has staged the oldest play in world literature, in which the consequences of a ruthless war are brutally dissected.

The solo dance piece “unsichtbarst” (the most invisible) is a study of the behaviour of the performer and the spectator. To see and to be seen. Who is observing whom? Performing on a mirrored floor and continuously observed from all angles, the dancing body evolves into a living sculpture that transforms itself, questions itself repeatedly. How much of ourselves do we reveal? Confronted with different expectations, we construct facades, play roles, and hide behind masks only to take them off again. We apparently need this protection, whilst at the same time we want to take off the masks and break through the facades. What remains behind the image that we pretend to maintain for others and for ourselves? 

WITH Anna Huber CHOREOGRAPHY Anna Huber MUSIC Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski SOUND DESIGN Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski LIGHT DESIGN Thilo Reuther SET DESIGN Thilo Reuther COSTUMES Inge Zysk PHOTO Sebastian Greuner PREMIERE Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin 05/1998 REPRISE Dampfzentrale Bern, 05/2008 PRODUCTION annahuber.compagnie. COPRODUCTION Theater am Halleschen Ufer, Berlin; Tanzfabrik Berlin; Hebbel-Theater, Berlin; Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Kultur Stadt Bern; Amt für Kultur des Kantons Bern; Pro Helvetia; Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur, Berlin INTERNET www.annahuber.net

Anna Huber
Since 1993, Anna Huber has been carrying out painstaking research into the body and its movements in a given space, as well as the interplay of various arts. Living in Berlin, this Swiss from Berne has developed a consistent artistic form of expression, particularly with her solo and duo work that is characterised by its simplicity, clarity and precision.

Studio atmosphere on stage: cables, low walls, electronic instruments, a box with a window in which a woman with a conservative hairstyle and glasses is sitting – the sound technician. Three musicians, a dancer, a technician. There is hardly any sound for quite some time: soundless instruments without loudspeakers and muted melodies. Gradually the sound increases; never reminiscent of any melody; creating steady hypnotic rhythms that are somewhere between minimal and punk. With acerbity and wit, “Requiem” produces a musical maelstrom mercilessly resulting in a final “Hymn” that, through its apocalyptic noise, sweeps away any trace of hope from the soul. Reminiscent of historical requiems, this rendition addresses an inner collection, referring to the idea of life after death, but also the struggle of the living for immortality. 

WITH  Stéphane Vecchione, Christian Garcia, Christophe Jaquet, Arantxa Martinez, Valérie Liengme, Serge Perret DIRECTION Velma DRAMATURGY Anja Haelg MUSIC Velma SOUND Ludovic Guglielmazzi SCENOGRAPHY Serge Perret LIGHT DESIGN Laurent Junod COSTUMES Tania d’Ambrogio PHOTO Myriam Tirler PREMIERE Théâtre Arsenic, Lausanne 09/2008 PRODUCTION Anja Haelg COPRODUCTION Centre d’art scénique contemporain Arsenic, Lausanne ; Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich; Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent; Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Ghent SUPPORT City of Lausanne; State of Vaud; Loterie Romande; Pro Helvetia; Migros Culture percentage; Nestlé Fondation pour l’art; Ernst Göhner Stiftung Zug; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr INTERNET www.velma.ch

Velma
Emanating from rock and electro clubs, where Velma are still active, this group has been creating theatre and music performances since 1999. With Velma a new dimension of music has evolved, where everything is at the music’s service and not vice versa.

The solo dance piece “unsichtbarst” (the most invisible) is a study of the behaviour of the performer and the spectator. To see and to be seen. Who is observing whom? Performing on a mirrored floor and continuously observed from all angles, the dancing body evolves into a living sculpture that transforms itself, questions itself repeatedly. How much of ourselves do we reveal? Confronted with different expectations, we construct facades, play roles, and hide behind masks only to take them off again. We apparently need this protection, whilst at the same time we want to take off the masks and break through the facades. What remains behind the image that we pretend to maintain for others and for ourselves? 

WITH Anna Huber CHOREOGRAPHY Anna Huber MUSIC Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski SOUND DESIGN Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski LIGHT DESIGN Thilo Reuther SET DESIGN Thilo Reuther COSTUMES Inge Zysk PHOTO Sebastian Greuner PREMIERE Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin 05/1998 REPRISE Dampfzentrale Bern, 05/2008 PRODUCTION annahuber.compagnie. COPRODUCTION Theater am Halleschen Ufer, Berlin; Tanzfabrik Berlin; Hebbel-Theater, Berlin; Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Kultur Stadt Bern; Amt für Kultur des Kantons Bern; Pro Helvetia; Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur, Berlin INTERNET www.annahuber.net

Anna Huber
Since 1993, Anna Huber has been carrying out painstaking research into the body and its movements in a given space, as well as the interplay of various arts. Living in Berlin, this Swiss from Berne has developed a consistent artistic form of expression, particularly with her solo and duo work that is characterised by its simplicity, clarity and precision.

Studio atmosphere on stage: cables, low walls, electronic instruments, a box with a window in which a woman with a conservative hairstyle and glasses is sitting – the sound technician. Three musicians, a dancer, a technician. There is hardly any sound for quite some time: soundless instruments without loudspeakers and muted melodies. Gradually the sound increases; never reminiscent of any melody; creating steady hypnotic rhythms that are somewhere between minimal and punk. With acerbity and wit, “Requiem” produces a musical maelstrom mercilessly resulting in a final “Hymn” that, through its apocalyptic noise, sweeps away any trace of hope from the soul. Reminiscent of historical requiems, this rendition addresses an inner collection, referring to the idea of life after death, but also the struggle of the living for immortality. 

WITH  Stéphane Vecchione, Christian Garcia, Christophe Jaquet, Arantxa Martinez, Valérie Liengme, Serge Perret DIRECTION Velma DRAMATURGY Anja Haelg MUSIC Velma SOUND Ludovic Guglielmazzi SCENOGRAPHY Serge Perret LIGHT DESIGN Laurent Junod COSTUMES Tania d’Ambrogio PHOTO Myriam Tirler PREMIERE Théâtre Arsenic, Lausanne 09/2008 PRODUCTION Anja Haelg COPRODUCTION Centre d’art scénique contemporain Arsenic, Lausanne ; Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich; Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent; Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Ghent SUPPORT City of Lausanne; State of Vaud; Loterie Romande; Pro Helvetia; Migros Culture percentage; Nestlé Fondation pour l’art; Ernst Göhner Stiftung Zug; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr INTERNET www.velma.ch

Velma
Emanating from rock and electro clubs, where Velma are still active, this group has been creating theatre and music performances since 1999. With Velma a new dimension of music has evolved, where everything is at the music’s service and not vice versa.

Kaïros (Gr.) means the most convenient, decisive moment for doing something successful. The union of consciousness and the subconscious. To be in Kaïros means to be in tune with wholeness. This idea shows the importance of time. From this vision of a «convenient moment», director Oskar Gómez Mata seizes the opportunity to develop a new piece of work. In “Kaïros”, the scenes are a playful poetic escape in which a fundamental question is posed: “What are we actually doing here?” An invitation to make holes in reality, holes in time, holes of possibility, holes of opportunity. Will we be able through these holes to see time spherically rather than chronologically? L’Alakran present all of this to us with liberating spite. 

WITH Oskar Gómez Mata, Michèle Gurtner, Esperanza López, Olga Onrubia, Valerio Scamuffa, David Valère DIRECTION Oskar Gómez Mata ASSISTANT Delphine Rosay DRAMATURGY Oskar Gómez Mata, Esperanza López TEXT Oskar Gómez Mata, Esperanza López SOUND DESIGN Serge Amacker VIDEO Régis Golay SET DESIGN  Chine Curchod, Régis Golay LIGHT DESIGN Michel Faure COSTUMES Isa Boucharlat PHOTO Régis Golay PREMIERE Espacio de la Merced, Festival BAD, Bilbao 10/2008 PRODUCTION Cie L’Alakran, Comédie de Genève COPRODUCTION L’espace Malraux, Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie; Festival BAD, Bilbao; Théâtre du Grand Marché, Centre dramatique de l’Océan Indien; L’Arsenic, centre d’art scénique contemporain, Lausanne; Les Subsistances, Lyon SUPPORT Pro Helvetia; Organe genevois de repartition de la Loterie Romande; Pour-Cent culturel Migros. La Compagnie L’Alakran bénéficie du soutien de la République et du Canton de Genève et du Département de la Culture de la Ville de Genève. INTERNET www.alakran.ch

Cie L’Alakran 
L’Alakran create comic, philosophical, although always poetic pieces. The political context in terms of a critical stance is closely linked with the artistic project: to scrutinize the relationship between the individual and the community without trying to come up with answers or ideologies, establishes a new relationship between the audience and the stage.

Kaïros (Gr.) means the most convenient, decisive moment for doing something successful. The union of consciousness and the subconscious. To be in Kaïros means to be in tune with wholeness. This idea shows the importance of time. From this vision of a «convenient moment», director Oskar Gómez Mata seizes the opportunity to develop a new piece of work. In “Kaïros”, the scenes are a playful poetic escape in which a fundamental question is posed: “What are we actually doing here?” An invitation to make holes in reality, holes in time, holes of possibility, holes of opportunity. Will we be able through these holes to see time spherically rather than chronologically? L’Alakran present all of this to us with liberating spite. 

WITH Oskar Gómez Mata, Michèle Gurtner, Esperanza López, Olga Onrubia, Valerio Scamuffa, David Valère DIRECTION Oskar Gómez Mata ASSISTANT Delphine Rosay DRAMATURGY Oskar Gómez Mata, Esperanza López TEXT Oskar Gómez Mata, Esperanza López SOUND DESIGN Serge Amacker VIDEO Régis Golay SET DESIGN  Chine Curchod, Régis Golay LIGHT DESIGN Michel Faure COSTUMES Isa Boucharlat PHOTO Régis Golay PREMIERE Espacio de la Merced, Festival BAD, Bilbao 10/2008 PRODUCTION Cie L’Alakran, Comédie de Genève COPRODUCTION L’espace Malraux, Scène nationale de Chambéry et de la Savoie; Festival BAD, Bilbao; Théâtre du Grand Marché, Centre dramatique de l’Océan Indien; L’Arsenic, centre d’art scénique contemporain, Lausanne; Les Subsistances, Lyon SUPPORT Pro Helvetia; Organe genevois de repartition de la Loterie Romande; Pour-Cent culturel Migros. La Compagnie L’Alakran bénéficie du soutien de la République et du Canton de Genève et du Département de la Culture de la Ville de Genève. INTERNET www.alakran.ch

Cie L’Alakran 
L’Alakran create comic, philosophical, although always poetic pieces. The political context in terms of a critical stance is closely linked with the artistic project: to scrutinize the relationship between the individual and the community without trying to come up with answers or ideologies, establishes a new relationship between the audience and the stage.

“Schilten” is the school report of a village teacher who becomes increasingly isolated and gets more and more lost in the redundancy of his schoolmasterlike language. He is accused of “preposterous activities” by his superiors. His written justification is a cry for help that is inscrutably humorous and that goes unheard. Nils Torpus has dramatised and staged the 300-page novel by Hermann Burger for Theater Marie. The actor, Herwig Ursin achieves a gripping brilliance in this 90-minute monologue. 

WITH Francesca Tappa, Herwig Ursin DIRECTION Nils Torpus DRAMARURGY Mona Petri TEXT Hermann Burger MUSIC Ruedi Debrunner SCENOGRAPHY Andy Giger LIGHT DESIGN Andy Giger COSTUMES Cristina Nyffeler PICTURE Werner Rolli PREMIERE Theater Tuchlaube, Aarau 03/2007 PRODUCTION Theater Marie, Markus Speck COPRODUCTION Theater Tuchlaube Aarau; Theater an der Winkelwiese Zürich SUPPORT Aargauer Kuratorium; Stadt Aarau; Kanton Aargau; Pro Helvetia INTERNET www.theatermarie.ch

Theater Marie
The ensemble Theater M.A.R.I.A. that was founded in 1983, became Theater Marie in 1999. Theater Marie has been under the direction of Nils Torpus and Markus Speck since 2007, and has made a name for itself with outstanding productions such as “Schilten” by Hermann Burger or “Forelle Stanley” by Claudia Dey.

“Schilten” is the school report of a village teacher who becomes increasingly isolated and gets more and more lost in the redundancy of his schoolmasterlike language. He is accused of “preposterous activities” by his superiors. His written justification is a cry for help that is inscrutably humorous and that goes unheard. Nils Torpus has dramatised and staged the 300-page novel by Hermann Burger for Theater Marie. The actor, Herwig Ursin achieves a gripping brilliance in this 90-minute monologue. 

WITH Francesca Tappa, Herwig Ursin DIRECTION Nils Torpus DRAMARURGY Mona Petri TEXT Hermann Burger MUSIC Ruedi Debrunner SCENOGRAPHY Andy Giger LIGHT DESIGN Andy Giger COSTUMES Cristina Nyffeler PICTURE Werner Rolli PREMIERE Theater Tuchlaube, Aarau 03/2007 PRODUCTION Theater Marie, Markus Speck COPRODUCTION Theater Tuchlaube Aarau; Theater an der Winkelwiese Zürich SUPPORT Aargauer Kuratorium; Stadt Aarau; Kanton Aargau; Pro Helvetia INTERNET www.theatermarie.ch

Theater Marie
The ensemble Theater M.A.R.I.A. that was founded in 1983, became Theater Marie in 1999. Theater Marie has been under the direction of Nils Torpus and Markus Speck since 2007, and has made a name for itself with outstanding productions such as “Schilten” by Hermann Burger or “Forelle Stanley” by Claudia Dey.

The spectator’s cell-phone is ringing. A voice orders him to observe a person named Black. The voice puts the observer via cell-phone on the track. The observer follows Black to different locations in the city. The city and its everyday life increasingly transform into a backdrop – reality’s credibility is at stake. The voice in the observer’s ears is like a stranger’s request at times, and at others like a commentary of the observer’s movements and perceptions – almost as though the observer was talking to himself, as if it were his own inner voice he was unswervingly listening to. In the process, the observer digs deeper and deeper into the city, into the story, into Black. The observer gradually gets sucked into a maelstrom of his cognitive stroll and is therefore increasingly the focus of his own concerns: the observer becomes the main character in the film taking place in his own head. 

WITH Miriam Fiordeponti, Sascha Gersak, Wowo Habdank, Dominique Müller, Andrea Schmid, Luc Müller DIRECTION Bernhard Mikeska ASSISTANCE Charlotte von Bausznern TEXT Paul Auster DRAMATURGY Andreas Regelsberger SOUND DESIGN Martin Wigger SCENOGRAPHY Bernhard Mikeska, Dominic Huber, Andreas Regelsberger SET DESIGN Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger COSTUMES Esther Krapiwnikow PHOTO Lisa Biedlingsmaier TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Jan Goettgens PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 10/2007 PRODUCTION mikeska:plus:blendwerk COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich SUPPORT Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Pro Helvetia; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Migros Kulturprozent INTERNET www.bernhardmikeska.de, www.blendwerk.ch

mikeska:plus:blendwerk
mikeska:plus:blendwerk consists of Bernhard Mikeska and Dominic Huber. After completing his doctorate in theoretical physics, Bernhard Mikeska now works as an independant director. Dominic Huber works as a stage designer after having graduated as an architect. The team works regularly with blendwerk co-founder, Christa Wenger (light and video) and actors from Zurich.

The spectator’s cell-phone is ringing. A voice orders him to observe a person named Black. The voice puts the observer via cell-phone on the track. The observer follows Black to different locations in the city. The city and its everyday life increasingly transform into a backdrop – reality’s credibility is at stake. The voice in the observer’s ears is like a stranger’s request at times, and at others like a commentary of the observer’s movements and perceptions – almost as though the observer was talking to himself, as if it were his own inner voice he was unswervingly listening to. In the process, the observer digs deeper and deeper into the city, into the story, into Black. The observer gradually gets sucked into a maelstrom of his cognitive stroll and is therefore increasingly the focus of his own concerns: the observer becomes the main character in the film taking place in his own head. 

WITH Miriam Fiordeponti, Sascha Gersak, Wowo Habdank, Dominique Müller, Andrea Schmid, Luc Müller DIRECTION Bernhard Mikeska ASSISTANCE Charlotte von Bausznern TEXT Paul Auster DRAMATURGY Andreas Regelsberger SOUND DESIGN Martin Wigger SCENOGRAPHY Bernhard Mikeska, Dominic Huber, Andreas Regelsberger SET DESIGN Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger COSTUMES Esther Krapiwnikow PHOTO Lisa Biedlingsmaier TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Jan Goettgens PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 10/2007 PRODUCTION mikeska:plus:blendwerk COPRODUCTION Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich SUPPORT Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Pro Helvetia; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Migros Kulturprozent INTERNET www.bernhardmikeska.de, www.blendwerk.ch

mikeska:plus:blendwerk
mikeska:plus:blendwerk consists of Bernhard Mikeska and Dominic Huber. After completing his doctorate in theoretical physics, Bernhard Mikeska now works as an independant director. Dominic Huber works as a stage designer after having graduated as an architect. The team works regularly with blendwerk co-founder, Christa Wenger (light and video) and actors from Zurich.

The solo dance piece “unsichtbarst” (the most invisible) is a study of the behaviour of the performer and the spectator. To see and to be seen. Who is observing whom? Performing on a mirrored floor and continuously observed from all angles, the dancing body evolves into a living sculpture that transforms itself, questions itself repeatedly. How much of ourselves do we reveal? Confronted with different expectations, we construct facades, play roles, and hide behind masks only to take them off again. We apparently need this protection, whilst at the same time we want to take off the masks and break through the facades. What remains behind the image that we pretend to maintain for others and for ourselves? 

WITH Anna Huber CHOREOGRAPHY Anna Huber MUSIC Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski SOUND DESIGN Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski LIGHT DESIGN Thilo Reuther SET DESIGN Thilo Reuther COSTUMES Inge Zysk PHOTO Sebastian Greuner PREMIERE Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin 05/1998 REPRISE Dampfzentrale Bern, 05/2008 PRODUCTION annahuber.compagnie. COPRODUCTION Theater am Halleschen Ufer, Berlin; Tanzfabrik Berlin; Hebbel-Theater, Berlin; Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Kultur Stadt Bern; Amt für Kultur des Kantons Bern; Pro Helvetia; Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur, Berlin INTERNET www.annahuber.net

Anna Huber
Since 1993, Anna Huber has been carrying out painstaking research into the body and its movements in a given space, as well as the interplay of various arts. Living in Berlin, this Swiss from Berne has developed a consistent artistic form of expression, particularly with her solo and duo work that is characterised by its simplicity, clarity and precision.

“Theater Sgaramusch” brings texts and stories written by children about wolves and their favourite things, to the stage. “Foofwa d'Imobilité” proves with humour that physical taboos have preoccupied artists forever. Through film and discussion, the group around Verena E. Weiss promotes collective dance and questions the German economic boom. The quartet of authors, Andreas Debatin, Matto Kämpf, Pedro Lenz and Raphael Urweider devotes itself to Swiss topics, developing a new form of popular theatre. “Watzdameyer” has made a name for itself with absurd performances at the interface between music and drama. “Schauplatz International” are specialists in documentary theatre who, whilst looking for the perfect protagonist, discover human beings taking second place to values, material things. 

The Fabriktheater Rote Fabrik is a place for artistic experiments and concentrates on dialogue between disciplines, stimulating transdisciplinary projects. Transdisciplinary here means the cooperation of different genres, as well as the combination of artistic, scientific and socio-relevant cognition and presentation modes.

THEATER SGARAMUSCH «Wolf unterm Bett» (Children and youth theatre) WITH Nora Vonder Mühll, Stefan Colombo, Olifr Maurmann DIRECTION Carol Blanc SET DESIGN Britta Hagen INTERNET www.sgaramusch.ch FOOFWA D’ IMOBILITE «LaréduQ» (Dance) WITH Ruth Childs, Foofwa dit MobilitÈ, Isabelle Rigat, Pauline Wassermann CONCEPT Foofwa d'Imobilité & Antoine Lengo INTERNET www.foofwa.com VERENA E. WEISS «vergiss' Deutschland» (Dance) WITH Annmi von Löw, Kaspar Weiss, Sven Seeger, Verena E. Weiss, Suvi Westerberg, Jasmin Phasuk ANDREAS DEBATIN, MATTO KÄMPF, PEDRO LENZ, RAPHAEL URWEIDER «Billi dr Bueb» & «Robinson» (Theatre ) SCHAUPLATZ INTERNATIONAL «Mascots are alive» (Theatre) INTERNET www.schauplatzinternational.net WATZDAMEYER «watzdameyer präsentiert watzdameyer» (Theatre) WITH Jesko Stubbe & Simon Dellsperger INTERNET www.watzdameyer.ch PHOTO «LaréduQ» by Cédric Vincensini

The solo dance piece “unsichtbarst” (the most invisible) is a study of the behaviour of the performer and the spectator. To see and to be seen. Who is observing whom? Performing on a mirrored floor and continuously observed from all angles, the dancing body evolves into a living sculpture that transforms itself, questions itself repeatedly. How much of ourselves do we reveal? Confronted with different expectations, we construct facades, play roles, and hide behind masks only to take them off again. We apparently need this protection, whilst at the same time we want to take off the masks and break through the facades. What remains behind the image that we pretend to maintain for others and for ourselves? 

WITH Anna Huber CHOREOGRAPHY Anna Huber MUSIC Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski SOUND DESIGN Wolfgang Bley-Borkowski LIGHT DESIGN Thilo Reuther SET DESIGN Thilo Reuther COSTUMES Inge Zysk PHOTO Sebastian Greuner PREMIERE Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin 05/1998 REPRISE Dampfzentrale Bern, 05/2008 PRODUCTION annahuber.compagnie. COPRODUCTION Theater am Halleschen Ufer, Berlin; Tanzfabrik Berlin; Hebbel-Theater, Berlin; Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Kultur Stadt Bern; Amt für Kultur des Kantons Bern; Pro Helvetia; Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur, Berlin INTERNET www.annahuber.net

Anna Huber
Since 1993, Anna Huber has been carrying out painstaking research into the body and its movements in a given space, as well as the interplay of various arts. Living in Berlin, this Swiss from Berne has developed a consistent artistic form of expression, particularly with her solo and duo work that is characterised by its simplicity, clarity and precision.

“Theater Sgaramusch” brings texts and stories written by children about wolves and their favourite things, to the stage. “Foofwa d'Imobilité” proves with humour that physical taboos have preoccupied artists forever. Through film and discussion, the group around Verena E. Weiss promotes collective dance and questions the German economic boom. The quartet of authors, Andreas Debatin, Matto Kämpf, Pedro Lenz and Raphael Urweider devotes itself to Swiss topics, developing a new form of popular theatre. “Watzdameyer” has made a name for itself with absurd performances at the interface between music and drama. “Schauplatz International” are specialists in documentary theatre who, whilst looking for the perfect protagonist, discover human beings taking second place to values, material things. 

The Fabriktheater Rote Fabrik is a place for artistic experiments and concentrates on dialogue between disciplines, stimulating transdisciplinary projects. Transdisciplinary here means the cooperation of different genres, as well as the combination of artistic, scientific and socio-relevant cognition and presentation modes.

THEATER SGARAMUSCH «Wolf unterm Bett» (Children and youth theatre) WITH Nora Vonder Mühll, Stefan Colombo, Olifr Maurmann DIRECTION Carol Blanc SET DESIGN Britta Hagen INTERNET www.sgaramusch.ch FOOFWA D’ IMOBILITE «LaréduQ» (Dance) WITH Ruth Childs, Foofwa dit MobilitÈ, Isabelle Rigat, Pauline Wassermann CONCEPT Foofwa d'Imobilité & Antoine Lengo INTERNET www.foofwa.com VERENA E. WEISS «vergiss' Deutschland» (Dance) WITH Annmi von Löw, Kaspar Weiss, Sven Seeger, Verena E. Weiss, Suvi Westerberg, Jasmin Phasuk ANDREAS DEBATIN, MATTO KÄMPF, PEDRO LENZ, RAPHAEL URWEIDER «Billi dr Bueb» & «Robinson» (Theatre ) SCHAUPLATZ INTERNATIONAL «Mascots are alive» (Theatre) INTERNET www.schauplatzinternational.net WATZDAMEYER «watzdameyer präsentiert watzdameyer» (Theatre) WITH Jesko Stubbe & Simon Dellsperger INTERNET www.watzdameyer.ch PHOTO «LaréduQ» by Cédric Vincensini

One November night, a young man veers off the road and finds refuge in an old house. Three women live there, three ghosts of a civil war. Death has turned them into goddesses and furies. What follows are the witches’ basics of civil war: “Die schwarze Kammer” (The black chamber) is a gothic opera and a zombie ball, Hollywood horror and fantasy story-telling of peace surrounded by wars. A collage of songs and stories of the wars of this world, this new production by Mass & Fieber captivates through sophisticated dramaturgy, density and precision. In this gothic musical play text, musical compositions and film excerpts form an equally unsettling as well as amusing and poetic ghost story. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Malika Khatir, Nicole Steiner, Samuel Streiff, Martin Gantenbein, Markus Schönholzer DIRECTION Niklaus Helbling ASSISTANCE Katharina Wiss TEXT Brigitte Helbling, Niklaus Helbling MUSIC Martin Gantenbein, Markus Schönholzer VIDEO Elke Auer, Christina Peios SOUND Mike Hasler CHOREOGRAPHY Salome Schneebeli SCENOGRAPHY Dirk Thiele ASSISTANCE Christina Peios ARTWORK Thomas Rhyner LIGHT DESIGN Björn Salzer COSTUMES Judith Steinmann TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Peter Affentranger PHOTO Christina Peios PREMIERE Schlachthaus Theater, Bern 02/2008 PRODUCTION Stéphanie Jaquet COPRODUCTION Schlachthaus Theater Bern; Kaserne Basel; Theater Rigiblick Zürich SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Migros-Kulturprozent; Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung; Georges und Jenny Bloch Stiftung; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr; Paul Schiller Stiftung; Dr. Adolf Streuli-Stiftung INTERNET www.massundfieber.ch

Mass & Fieber
Mass & Fieber was founded in 1996 by Niklaus Helbling, Martin Gantenbein and Walter Stulzer as a society for the promotion of anonymous fiction, gimmickry and the linking of all art forms. Since 1999, their own pieces and performances, CDs and radio plays have emerged using artists from the fields of music, theatre, video, dance and literature.

Simone Aughterlony‘s examination of the best and worst in mankind is diverse, colourful and humorously light. It therefore stands to reason that it is not just about individuals, but also about the community, cliques and groups. Good as well as bad characteristics are primarily displayed in contact with the others. Therefore in her new work, Simone Aughterlony focuses on the different forms of group dynamics. With enigmatic humour, she and four other performers illustrate through dance and speech, how people strive to swim along in a collective swarm, or how they try to break free. A playful and cheerful attempt to approximate group laws and the characteristics of individuals attempting to be humans. 

WITH Simone Aughterlony, Phil Hayes, Nicholas Lloyd, Kate McIntosh, Thomas Wodianka CHOREOGRAPHY  Simone Aughterlony DRAMATURGY Fiona Wright CONSULTATION Laura Kalauz MUSIC COMPOSER Marcel Blatti MUSICIANS Monika Baer, Renate Steinmann, Martin Zeller, Mathias Weibel SCENOGRAPHY Nadia Fistarol LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger PHOTO Christian Glaus PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 02/2008 PRODUCTION Roger Merguin – Verein für allgemeines Wohl COPRODUCTION Productiehuis Rotterdam (Rotterdamse Schouwburg); Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Hebbel am Ufer Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Pro Helvetia; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin; SSA – société suisse des auteurs INTERNET www.aughterlony.com

Simone Aughterlony
A New Zealander living in Zurich, Simone Aughterlony investigates in her work the relationship between experiences made and the communication of these experiences through various forms of (re)presentation. The investigation often leads to a strictly formal cataloging whereby the protagonists unremittingly try to understand the limits of their mental and physical states.

Twice a year, the short-piece-platform 12 MIN. MAX., in cooperation with an expert and the Tanzhaus Zürich offers professional dancers and performers the possibility to present a new concept, an idea for a piece, an experiment or a work in progress. The brevity of the pieces which are at the most 12 minutes long results in a rich performances programme. For this «12 MIN.MAX. spezial» Bo Wiget and Simone Aughterlony will choose and accompany the pieces. 

Tanzhaus Zürich is Switzerland’s only dance centre. Many city-sponsored dance productions are developed here. Training in contemporary and classical dance techniques takes place daily. Tanzhaus Zürich is an officially recognised event location for contemporary dance and furthermore, it provides dancers with extensive information and advice.

Studio atmosphere on stage: cables, low walls, electronic instruments, a box with a window in which a woman with a conservative hairstyle and glasses is sitting – the sound technician. Three musicians, a dancer, a technician. There is hardly any sound for quite some time: soundless instruments without loudspeakers and muted melodies. Gradually the sound increases; never reminiscent of any melody; creating steady hypnotic rhythms that are somewhere between minimal and punk. With acerbity and wit, “Requiem” produces a musical maelstrom mercilessly resulting in a final “Hymn” that, through its apocalyptic noise, sweeps away any trace of hope from the soul. Reminiscent of historical requiems, this rendition addresses an inner collection, referring to the idea of life after death, but also the struggle of the living for immortality. 

WITH  Stéphane Vecchione, Christian Garcia, Christophe Jaquet, Arantxa Martinez, Valérie Liengme, Serge Perret DIRECTION Velma DRAMATURGY Anja Haelg MUSIC Velma SOUND Ludovic Guglielmazzi SCENOGRAPHY Serge Perret LIGHT DESIGN Laurent Junod COSTUMES Tania d’Ambrogio PHOTO Myriam Tirler PREMIERE Théâtre Arsenic, Lausanne 09/2008 PRODUCTION Anja Haelg COPRODUCTION Centre d’art scénique contemporain Arsenic, Lausanne ; Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich; Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent; Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Ghent SUPPORT City of Lausanne; State of Vaud; Loterie Romande; Pro Helvetia; Migros Culture percentage; Nestlé Fondation pour l’art; Ernst Göhner Stiftung Zug; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr INTERNET www.velma.ch

Velma
Emanating from rock and electro clubs, where Velma are still active, this group has been creating theatre and music performances since 1999. With Velma a new dimension of music has evolved, where everything is at the music’s service and not vice versa.

One November night, a young man veers off the road and finds refuge in an old house. Three women live there, three ghosts of a civil war. Death has turned them into goddesses and furies. What follows are the witches’ basics of civil war: “Die schwarze Kammer” (The black chamber) is a gothic opera and a zombie ball, Hollywood horror and fantasy story-telling of peace surrounded by wars. A collage of songs and stories of the wars of this world, this new production by Mass & Fieber captivates through sophisticated dramaturgy, density and precision. In this gothic musical play text, musical compositions and film excerpts form an equally unsettling as well as amusing and poetic ghost story. 

WITH Fabienne Hadorn, Malika Khatir, Nicole Steiner, Samuel Streiff, Martin Gantenbein, Markus Schönholzer DIRECTION Niklaus Helbling ASSISTANCE Katharina Wiss TEXT Brigitte Helbling, Niklaus Helbling MUSIC Martin Gantenbein, Markus Schönholzer VIDEO Elke Auer, Christina Peios SOUND Mike Hasler CHOREOGRAPHY Salome Schneebeli SCENOGRAPHY Dirk Thiele ASSISTANCE Christina Peios ARTWORK Thomas Rhyner LIGHT DESIGN Björn Salzer COSTUMES Judith Steinmann TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Peter Affentranger PHOTO Christina Peios PREMIERE Schlachthaus Theater, Bern 02/2008 PRODUCTION Stéphanie Jaquet COPRODUCTION Schlachthaus Theater Bern; Kaserne Basel; Theater Rigiblick Zürich SUPPORT Stadt Zürich Kultur; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Migros-Kulturprozent; Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung; Ernst Göhner Stiftung; Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung; Georges und Jenny Bloch Stiftung; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr; Paul Schiller Stiftung; Dr. Adolf Streuli-Stiftung INTERNET www.massundfieber.ch

Mass & Fieber
Mass & Fieber was founded in 1996 by Niklaus Helbling, Martin Gantenbein and Walter Stulzer as a society for the promotion of anonymous fiction, gimmickry and the linking of all art forms. Since 1999, their own pieces and performances, CDs and radio plays have emerged using artists from the fields of music, theatre, video, dance and literature.

Simone Aughterlony‘s examination of the best and worst in mankind is diverse, colourful and humorously light. It therefore stands to reason that it is not just about individuals, but also about the community, cliques and groups. Good as well as bad characteristics are primarily displayed in contact with the others. Therefore in her new work, Simone Aughterlony focuses on the different forms of group dynamics. With enigmatic humour, she and four other performers illustrate through dance and speech, how people strive to swim along in a collective swarm, or how they try to break free. A playful and cheerful attempt to approximate group laws and the characteristics of individuals attempting to be humans. 

WITH Simone Aughterlony, Phil Hayes, Nicholas Lloyd, Kate McIntosh, Thomas Wodianka CHOREOGRAPHY  Simone Aughterlony DRAMATURGY Fiona Wright CONSULTATION Laura Kalauz MUSIC COMPOSER Marcel Blatti MUSICIANS Monika Baer, Renate Steinmann, Martin Zeller, Mathias Weibel SCENOGRAPHY Nadia Fistarol LIGHT DESIGN Christa Wenger PHOTO Christian Glaus PREMIERE Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich 02/2008 PRODUCTION Roger Merguin – Verein für allgemeines Wohl COPRODUCTION Productiehuis Rotterdam (Rotterdamse Schouwburg); Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zürich; Hebbel am Ufer Berlin; Dampfzentrale Bern SUPPORT Pro Helvetia; Fachstelle Kultur Kanton Zürich; Präsidialdepartement der Stadt Zürich; Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin; SSA – société suisse des auteurs INTERNET www.aughterlony.com

Simone Aughterlony
A New Zealander living in Zurich, Simone Aughterlony investigates in her work the relationship between experiences made and the communication of these experiences through various forms of (re)presentation. The investigation often leads to a strictly formal cataloging whereby the protagonists unremittingly try to understand the limits of their mental and physical states.

Twice a year, the short-piece-platform 12 MIN. MAX., in cooperation with an expert and the Tanzhaus Zürich offers professional dancers and performers the possibility to present a new concept, an idea for a piece, an experiment or a work in progress. The brevity of the pieces which are at the most 12 minutes long results in a rich performances programme. For this «12 MIN.MAX. spezial» Bo Wiget and Simone Aughterlony will choose and accompany the pieces. 

Tanzhaus Zürich is Switzerland’s only dance centre. Many city-sponsored dance productions are developed here. Training in contemporary and classical dance techniques takes place daily. Tanzhaus Zürich is an officially recognised event location for contemporary dance and furthermore, it provides dancers with extensive information and advice.

Studio atmosphere on stage: cables, low walls, electronic instruments, a box with a window in which a woman with a conservative hairstyle and glasses is sitting – the sound technician. Three musicians, a dancer, a technician. There is hardly any sound for quite some time: soundless instruments without loudspeakers and muted melodies. Gradually the sound increases; never reminiscent of any melody; creating steady hypnotic rhythms that are somewhere between minimal and punk. With acerbity and wit, “Requiem” produces a musical maelstrom mercilessly resulting in a final “Hymn” that, through its apocalyptic noise, sweeps away any trace of hope from the soul. Reminiscent of historical requiems, this rendition addresses an inner collection, referring to the idea of life after death, but also the struggle of the living for immortality. 

WITH  Stéphane Vecchione, Christian Garcia, Christophe Jaquet, Arantxa Martinez, Valérie Liengme, Serge Perret DIRECTION Velma DRAMATURGY Anja Haelg MUSIC Velma SOUND Ludovic Guglielmazzi SCENOGRAPHY Serge Perret LIGHT DESIGN Laurent Junod COSTUMES Tania d’Ambrogio PHOTO Myriam Tirler PREMIERE Théâtre Arsenic, Lausanne 09/2008 PRODUCTION Anja Haelg COPRODUCTION Centre d’art scénique contemporain Arsenic, Lausanne ; Theaterhaus Gessnerallee, Zürich; Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent; Internationaal Festival van Vlaanderen Ghent SUPPORT City of Lausanne; State of Vaud; Loterie Romande; Pro Helvetia; Migros Culture percentage; Nestlé Fondation pour l’art; Ernst Göhner Stiftung Zug; Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr INTERNET www.velma.ch

Velma
Emanating from rock and electro clubs, where Velma are still active, this group has been creating theatre and music performances since 1999. With Velma a new dimension of music has evolved, where everything is at the music’s service and not vice versa.

They are between 7 and 14 years old, sons and daughters of multinational executives – or victims of wars and catastrophes. These wealthy, cosmopolitan children and these illegal immigrant children have something in common: they live in small, temporary communities that imitate families. How does this new kind of nomad experience influence them? How do they view the world? In whose reality do they develop? Their presence confronts us with surprising reflections. “At certain times, the children allow themselves to ignore laws. They say: If there’s a war, I’ll wear 6 pullovers on top of each other so that knives and bullets won’t hurt me.” (Stefan Kaegi) “They say children always tell the truth. But perhaps they are so good at lying you can’t differentiate between lies and the truth.” (Lola Arias) 

WITH Oussama Braun, Patrick Bruttin, Aline Lidia De Mello Morais, Kristina Kovalevskaya, Julien Ho, Garima Manek, Clyde Philippoz, Sarah Serafim, Juliette Scialpi DIRECTION Lola Arias, Stefan Kaegi DRAMATURGY Florian Malzacher TEXT Lola Arias, Stefan Kaegi MUSIC Stéphane Vecchione VIDEO Bruno Deville ASSISTANCE Fabienne Rossier, Boris Brüderlin SCENOGRAPHY Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christophe Glanzmann, David Perez PHOTO Mario Del Curto PREMIERE Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne 06/2008 PRODUCTION Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne COPRODUCTION Festival d’Avignon 2008; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Theater Chur; Le-Maillon, Théâtre de Strasbourg-Scène européenne SUPPORT Pour-cent culturel Migros for the creation / pour la création and Pro Helvetia for the tour / pour la tournée INTERNET www.rimini-protokoll.de

Stefan Kaegi and his group Rimini Protokoll, are considered to be the inventors of a new “Reality Trend” on stage. They focus on people, specialists of a particular theme, who are not actors. Lola Arias is an author, singer, actress and director. Her latest pieces investigate the borders between reality and fiction.

They are between 7 and 14 years old, sons and daughters of multinational executives – or victims of wars and catastrophes. These wealthy, cosmopolitan children and these illegal immigrant children have something in common: they live in small, temporary communities that imitate families. How does this new kind of nomad experience influence them? How do they view the world? In whose reality do they develop? Their presence confronts us with surprising reflections. “At certain times, the children allow themselves to ignore laws. They say: If there’s a war, I’ll wear 6 pullovers on top of each other so that knives and bullets won’t hurt me.” (Stefan Kaegi) “They say children always tell the truth. But perhaps they are so good at lying you can’t differentiate between lies and the truth.” (Lola Arias) 

WITH Oussama Braun, Patrick Bruttin, Aline Lidia De Mello Morais, Kristina Kovalevskaya, Julien Ho, Garima Manek, Clyde Philippoz, Sarah Serafim, Juliette Scialpi DIRECTION Lola Arias, Stefan Kaegi DRAMATURGY Florian Malzacher TEXT Lola Arias, Stefan Kaegi MUSIC Stéphane Vecchione VIDEO Bruno Deville ASSISTANCE Fabienne Rossier, Boris Brüderlin SCENOGRAPHY Dominic Huber LIGHT DESIGN Christophe Glanzmann, David Perez PHOTO Mario Del Curto PREMIERE Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne 06/2008 PRODUCTION Théâtre Vidy, Lausanne COPRODUCTION Festival d’Avignon 2008; Hebbel-am-Ufer, Berlin; Theater Chur; Le-Maillon, Théâtre de Strasbourg-Scène européenne SUPPORT Pour-cent culturel Migros for the creation / pour la création and Pro Helvetia for the tour / pour la tournée INTERNET www.rimini-protokoll.de

Stefan Kaegi and his group Rimini Protokoll, are considered to be the inventors of a new “Reality Trend” on stage. They focus on people, specialists of a particular theme, who are not actors. Lola Arias is an author, singer, actress and director. Her latest pieces investigate the borders between reality and fiction.

By its very nature, the family is held together by terror. The children of the earliest theatricals tragedies, Orest and Electra, experience the fact that the terror between parents and children can only be surpassed by postfamilial terror: when brothers and sisters have taken their places and tear each other apart. Shakespeare‘s royal drama uses the Lear’s family party as a point of departure during which everything revolves around a single question: inheritance, a very contemporary theme. In her production, Barbara Weber goes back and forth between bloody scenes from King Lear and family therapy, quoting other extended families along the way: a fast and bold performance. 

WITH Michael Haves, Rahel Hubacher, Yvon Jansen, Anne Ratte-Polle, Sebastian Rudolph DIRECTION Barbara Weber DRAMATURGY Mathias Lilienthal, Max-Philip Aschenbrenner TEXT Barbara Weber & Ensemble nach William Shakespeare MUSIC Michael Haves LIGHT DESIGN Hans Leser SCENOGRAPHY Janina Audick SET DESIGN Janina Audick COSTUMES Janina Audick PHOTO Barbara Braun PREMIERE brut im Künstlerhaus, Wiener Festwochen, 06/2008 PRODUCTION brut im Künstlerhaus, Wien für Wiener Festwochen COPRODUCTION Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; Theater Neumarkt, Zürich SUPPORT Haupstadtkulturfonds Berlin, Familie-Vontobel-Stiftung INTERNET www.barbaraweber.ch

Barbara Weber
Barbara Weber studied directing in Hamburg and formed her own theatre company in 2001. Barbara Weber is known for her «unplugged» evening projects; putting on stage major themes using little means and a lot of imagination, she deals with Hollywood myths like “Star Wars”, celebrities like Michael Jackson or even the Red Army Faction.

Is it possible to tell a gripping story without saying one word? Yes, it is! For Ohne Rolf, talking is about scrolling – through placards; they “converse” with each other in a bizarre world that looks similar to ours. Their placards are an alienating reflection in which we recognise ourselves – sometimes alarming, but always with a smile. Now the duo scrolls its placards onto the next chapter: Ohne Rolf come by an offspring – “Schreibhals”, a keen little writer has its say! The second programme promises silent nonsense. Everyday paperwork takes on hilarious, surprising dimensions. There is laughter between the lines. You listen with your eyes. The duo manages to get the audience to hold its breath right up until the last minute and they pull off their stunt by using 1000 placards, each one with short sentences printed on them. 

WITH Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub CONCEPT Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub DIRECTION Dominique Müller DRAMATURGY Dominique Müller PHOTO Ohne Rolf PRODUCTION Barbara Anderhub

Ohne Rolf
Ohne Rolf tried their placard idea for the first time in 1999: they set themselves up motionless on the streets, holding up a piece of A4 paper in front of them, with the following written on it: “There’s nothing to see here”. The more they tried to persuade passersby not to look at them, the greater the interest their audience showed. Then they knew an idea was born!

The army of the Persian King Dareios was defeated by the Athenians in the battle at Marathon in the year 490 BC. Ten years later, his son Xerxes went to war with a fleet of over 1000 ships to get revenge for the humiliation of the defeat. Tormented by terrifying dreams and premonitions, Atossa, the Persian King’s mother awaits news from the battle front at Salamis. An envoy has managed to escape and reports on the battle’s inhuman atrocities. The Greeks, although greatly outnumbered, lured the Persian fleet in an ambush and destroyed it.. Only King Xerxes and a small troop of soldiers have managed to escape. Xerxes returns from the battlefield heavily scarred, most of the soldiers having perished, the people of Persia annihilated. 

WITH  Jean-Pierre Cornu, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Daniel Lommatzsch, Oliver Masucci, Catrin Striebeck DIRECTION Stefan Pucher DRAMATURGY Klaus Missbach TEXT Aischylos MUSIC Arvild Baud VIDEO Meika Dresenkamp SET DESIGN Barbara Ehnes LIGHT DESIGN Sascha Haenschke COSTUMES Tina Klömpken PHOTO Stefan Pucher by Leonard Zubler PREMIERE Schauspielhaus Zürich, 10/2008

Schauspielhaus Zürich 
Stefan Pucher, whose “Oresteia” by Aeschylos was already performed in Zurich, has staged the oldest play in world literature, in which the consequences of a ruthless war are brutally dissected.

By its very nature, the family is held together by terror. The children of the earliest theatricals tragedies, Orest and Electra, experience the fact that the terror between parents and children can only be surpassed by postfamilial terror: when brothers and sisters have taken their places and tear each other apart. Shakespeare‘s royal drama uses the Lear’s family party as a point of departure during which everything revolves around a single question: inheritance, a very contemporary theme. In her production, Barbara Weber goes back and forth between bloody scenes from King Lear and family therapy, quoting other extended families along the way: a fast and bold performance. 

WITH Michael Haves, Rahel Hubacher, Yvon Jansen, Anne Ratte-Polle, Sebastian Rudolph DIRECTION Barbara Weber DRAMATURGY Mathias Lilienthal, Max-Philip Aschenbrenner TEXT Barbara Weber & Ensemble nach William Shakespeare MUSIC Michael Haves LIGHT DESIGN Hans Leser SCENOGRAPHY Janina Audick SET DESIGN Janina Audick COSTUMES Janina Audick PHOTO Barbara Braun PREMIERE brut im Künstlerhaus, Wiener Festwochen, 06/2008 PRODUCTION brut im Künstlerhaus, Wien für Wiener Festwochen COPRODUCTION Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; Theater Neumarkt, Zürich SUPPORT Haupstadtkulturfonds Berlin, Familie-Vontobel-Stiftung INTERNET www.barbaraweber.ch

Barbara Weber
Barbara Weber studied directing in Hamburg and formed her own theatre company in 2001. Barbara Weber is known for her «unplugged» evening projects; putting on stage major themes using little means and a lot of imagination, she deals with Hollywood myths like “Star Wars”, celebrities like Michael Jackson or even the Red Army Faction.

Is it possible to tell a gripping story without saying one word? Yes, it is! For Ohne Rolf, talking is about scrolling – through placards; they “converse” with each other in a bizarre world that looks similar to ours. Their placards are an alienating reflection in which we recognise ourselves – sometimes alarming, but always with a smile. Now the duo scrolls its placards onto the next chapter: Ohne Rolf come by an offspring – “Schreibhals”, a keen little writer has its say! The second programme promises silent nonsense. Everyday paperwork takes on hilarious, surprising dimensions. There is laughter between the lines. You listen with your eyes. The duo manages to get the audience to hold its breath right up until the last minute and they pull off their stunt by using 1000 placards, each one with short sentences printed on them. 

WITH Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub CONCEPT Cristof Wolfisberg, Jonas Anderhub DIRECTION Dominique Müller DRAMATURGY Dominique Müller PHOTO Ohne Rolf PRODUCTION Barbara Anderhub

Ohne Rolf
Ohne Rolf tried their placard idea for the first time in 1999: they set themselves up motionless on the streets, holding up a piece of A4 paper in front of them, with the following written on it: “There’s nothing to see here”. The more they tried to persuade passersby not to look at them, the greater the interest their audience showed. Then they knew an idea was born!

The army of the Persian King Dareios was defeated by the Athenians in the battle at Marathon in the year 490 BC. Ten years later, his son Xerxes went to war with a fleet of over 1000 ships to get revenge for the humiliation of the defeat. Tormented by terrifying dreams and premonitions, Atossa, the Persian King’s mother awaits news from the battle front at Salamis. An envoy has managed to escape and reports on the battle’s inhuman atrocities. The Greeks, although greatly outnumbered, lured the Persian fleet in an ambush and destroyed it.. Only King Xerxes and a small troop of soldiers have managed to escape. Xerxes returns from the battlefield heavily scarred, most of the soldiers having perished, the people of Persia annihilated. 

WITH  Jean-Pierre Cornu, Robert Hunger-Bühler, Daniel Lommatzsch, Oliver Masucci, Catrin Striebeck DIRECTION Stefan Pucher DRAMATURGY Klaus Missbach TEXT Aischylos MUSIC Arvild Baud VIDEO Meika Dresenkamp SET DESIGN Barbara Ehnes LIGHT DESIGN Sascha Haenschke COSTUMES Tina Klömpken PHOTO Stefan Pucher by Leonard Zubler PREMIERE Schauspielhaus Zürich, 10/2008

Schauspielhaus Zürich 
Stefan Pucher, whose “Oresteia” by Aeschylos was already performed in Zurich, has staged the oldest play in world literature, in which the consequences of a ruthless war are brutally dissected.

“When grandfather Fritz was as old as me, he tamed a wolf. My grandmother Charlotte wanted to be an opera singer and became a hairdresser. Grandfather Oskar left her because he loved Irene, a trollop. When I was seven, I packed my things and moved in with grandmother Lila and grandfather Ruben. Grandfather Ruben used to be a handsome man, now he’s bald. When grandmother let her hair down, it would hang down long and thin, just like a fairy. Or just like a ghost. Grandmother shrinks, I grow.” In “Damit ich dich besser sehen kann” (All the better to see you with) three grandchildren rummage around in old family albums and discover their grandparents. Stories of days gone by and of today, familiar and strange, snapshots of a long life. Scenes are re-enacted at great speed and with such exuberant imagination, that it is great fun – not just for the kids! 

WITH Frida Leon Béraud, Frauke Jacobi, Julius Griesenberg DIRECTION Beatrix Bühler MUSIC Simon Hostettler PHOTO Bernhard Fuchs INTERNET www.dalang.ch

Dalang Puppencompany
Frida Leon Béraud (actress) and Frauke Jakobi (musician) both studied puppetry at the «Ernst Busch» Drama College in Berlin. After gaining experience in direction, writing, scenography (Frauke Jakobi) and acting, street and movement theatre (Frida Leon Béraud), they founded the Dalang Puppencompany in 2004. 

“When grandfather Fritz was as old as me, he tamed a wolf. My grandmother Charlotte wanted to be an opera singer and became a hairdresser. Grandfather Oskar left her because he loved Irene, a trollop. When I was seven, I packed my things and moved in with grandmother Lila and grandfather Ruben. Grandfather Ruben used to be a handsome man, now he’s bald. When grandmother let her hair down, it would hang down long and thin, just like a fairy. Or just like a ghost. Grandmother shrinks, I grow.” In “Damit ich dich besser sehen kann” (All the better to see you with) three grandchildren rummage around in old family albums and discover their grandparents. Stories of days gone by and of today, familiar and strange, snapshots of a long life. Scenes are re-enacted at great speed and with such exuberant imagination, that it is great fun – not just for the kids! 

WITH Frida Leon Béraud, Frauke Jacobi, Julius Griesenberg DIRECTION Beatrix Bühler MUSIC Simon Hostettler PHOTO Bernhard Fuchs INTERNET www.dalang.ch

Dalang Puppencompany
Frida Leon Béraud (actress) and Frauke Jakobi (musician) both studied puppetry at the «Ernst Busch» Drama College in Berlin. After gaining experience in direction, writing, scenography (Frauke Jakobi) and acting, street and movement theatre (Frida Leon Béraud), they founded the Dalang Puppencompany in 2004. 

In “Gelbe Tage” (Yellow days), the war has already begun before it breaks out: despite her brother’s warnings, the woman is with a man who belongs with “the others”. His faith and his origins make him a stranger. However, the ideal of different ethnic groups living together peacefully still appears to be intact. At worst, aggression explodes whilst playing football. They even unite when a third party attacks. Husband and brother fight the enemy together, forcing him to retreat. Yet, winning is not followed by reconciliation: the conflict is now in the open and is continued within this partnership of convenience and escalates in a bloodbath. Husband and brother become deadly enemies, and the woman is caught up in between two fronts whose characteristics constantly change, until in the end, no one knows on whose side he is. 

WITH Manuel Bürgin, Sebastian Krähenbühl, Anna-Katharina Müller DIRECTION Stephan Roppel DRAMATURGY Sibylle Heim TEXT Daniela Janjic MUSIC Bo Wiget SCENOGRAPHY Marcella Maichle LIGHT DESIGN Michael Omlin COSTUMES Marcella Maichle PHOTO Niklaus Stauss PREMIERE Theater Winkelwiese, Zürich 01/2008 PRODUCTION Theater Winkelwiese COPRODUCTION Schlachthaus Theater Bern; Theater Roxy Birsfelden; Theater am Kirchplatz Schaan; Theater Tuchlaube Aarau INTERNET www.winkelwiese.ch

Daniela Janjic
Daniela Janjic grew up in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in Sweden. She has been living in Winterthur since 1993. Between 2005 and 2007, she studied German, modern cultures and film at the University of Zurich. In 2005, she participated in the authors‘ workshop “Dramenprozessor” at the Theater an der Winkelwiese.

In “Gelbe Tage” (Yellow days), the war has already begun before it breaks out: despite her brother’s warnings, the woman is with a man who belongs with “the others”. His faith and his origins make him a stranger. However, the ideal of different ethnic groups living together peacefully still appears to be intact. At worst, aggression explodes whilst playing football. They even unite when a third party attacks. Husband and brother fight the enemy together, forcing him to retreat. Yet, winning is not followed by reconciliation: the conflict is now in the open and is continued within this partnership of convenience and escalates in a bloodbath. Husband and brother become deadly enemies, and the woman is caught up in between two fronts whose characteristics constantly change, until in the end, no one knows on whose side he is. 

WITH Manuel Bürgin, Sebastian Krähenbühl, Anna-Katharina Müller DIRECTION Stephan Roppel DRAMATURGY Sibylle Heim TEXT Daniela Janjic MUSIC Bo Wiget SCENOGRAPHY Marcella Maichle LIGHT DESIGN Michael Omlin COSTUMES Marcella Maichle PHOTO Niklaus Stauss PREMIERE Theater Winkelwiese, Zürich 01/2008 PRODUCTION Theater Winkelwiese COPRODUCTION Schlachthaus Theater Bern; Theater Roxy Birsfelden; Theater am Kirchplatz Schaan; Theater Tuchlaube Aarau INTERNET www.winkelwiese.ch

Daniela Janjic
Daniela Janjic grew up in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in Sweden. She has been living in Winterthur since 1993. Between 2005 and 2007, she studied German, modern cultures and film at the University of Zurich. In 2005, she participated in the authors‘ workshop “Dramenprozessor” at the Theater an der Winkelwiese.