collective christians // schwenk

J.U.D.I.T.H.

Dance / theatre / dildo performance with after-talk of the audience in the dark

Feminist and Dada-Dildo-Derrida-deconstructivist, the performers in J.U.D.I.T.H. deal with Hebbel's text template. In physical confrontation with more than 69 dildos, standardized body images are deformed and at the same time turned upside down.

With a lot of body sweat and comedy, Marja Christians and Isabel Schwenk question structural social "master" relations and their own position of power as white women in queered forms of desire. The performers take the eyes of the spectators and throw them back, they make themselves vulnerable and physically seize their audience.

Viewers' perceptions and worldviews can falter as dildosaurs dance through the orgasm landscape and the vulva begins to sing.

Credits
By & With
Christians//Schwenk — Marja Christians + Isabel Schwenk
In Collaboration With
Ayelén Cantini
Discourse & Content Collective
Golschan Ahmad Haschemi, Carolin Gerlach, Julia*n Meding
Production Assistance, Organisation & Coordination of Guest Performances
Isabella Kammerer, Denise Biermann, Linda Sepp
Technical Support
Dennis Dieter Kopp
With the Support of
Friedrich-Weinhagen-Stiftung, Sparkasse Hildesheim, AStA der Universität Hildesheim, Institut für Theater, Medien und Populäre Kultur der Universität Hildesheim, Studentenwerk OstNiedersachsen
Sponsored by
JoyDivision / Lovetoys
Year
2015

Shows

  • Kulturfabrik Löseke e.V., Hildesheim — Premiere 25 November 2015 (also 26 + 27 Nov 2014)
  • Pathos Transport Theater, München 13 + 14 February 2015
  • Hilde-an-der-Sihl-Festival, Gessnerallee, Zürich 26 February 2015
  • UWE der Festival, August-Everding, München 16 October 2015
  • Kana Theatre, Szczecin (in English) 22 – 24 October 2015
  • Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival, UK (in English) 28 October 2015
  • Bolivia Now!, Barcelona (in English) 26 – 27 November 2015
  • Ackerstadt Palast, Berlin 4 – 6 March 2016

Press

“Stunningly funny.”

— HiAZ über die Premiere von J.U.D.I.T.H., 27.11.2014

“If they were handing out prizes for Most Avant Garde Thing then on so many levels, even if just by dint of checking so many boxes, I think J.U.D.I.T.H would be walking off with an armful of the things. Something I did find fascinating about the piece, though, was how resolutely un-like regular State Theatre German theatre it felt. Even though the latter makes all the same noises about deconstruction and onstage nudity and etc., this definitely felt much more related to "Live Art" practice, or contemporary-dance-pieces-with-speech-in-them than even the least conservative German theatre. I find that gap very interesting. Am I sad that this isn't the Flare piece I had to review for the Guardian? Yes, and also very much no.”

— Andrew Haydon, Postcards from the Gods, 16.07.2015

Prizes & Special Invitations

  • Prize of the Jury — Sophiensaele Berlin / 100° Festival 2015
  • BEST OFF Niedersachsen / Lower Saxony
  • Prize for Independent Theater Companies 2015
  • Prize of the Civic Foundation — City of Hildesheim
  • Invited to the FLARE15-Festival, Manchester
  • Körber Studio Junge Regie
  • RADIKAL JUNG — Volkstheater Munich
  • Guest performances throughout Germany and across Europe (Zürich, Stettin, Manchester, Bournemouth)