- Presenter: Weiwuying
- Duration is 120 minutes without intermission.
Performed in German with both English and Mandarin surtitles.
The performance contains nudity, sexual content, explicit portrayal of sexual violence, prop guns, and smoking on stage. Viewer discretion is advised.
- Age guidance 18+
- Latecomers must follow staff instructions for entry and re-entry.
- For Group Purchase Discounts, please contact 07-262-6666.
- More Offers
- 10% off for Weiwuying Lifestyle member
- 25% off for Weiwuying Youth member
- Weiwuying Unlimited member: 30% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
- For details, please see Weiwuying Members Benefit
Schaubühne Berlin - History of Violence
#Stereotype #RacialDiscrimination #Homophobia #ClassGap
History of Violence premiered in 2018 at Schaubühne Berlin, directed by Thomas OSTERMEIER and based on the autobiographical novel by young French writer Édouard LOUIS.
The stage adaptation of History of Violence possesses minimalist aesthetics. Sharing the stage with the actors is a percussive musician whose performance operates like a heartbeat or breath. The "OSTERMEIER elements" which are familiar to seasoned theater fans, include the projection, the sound design, and the actors' precise (fourth-wall-breaking) performance vividly bring the source material to life in a theater space.
History of Violence, the novel, recalls the author's date rape in Paris: Édouard met Reda, an Algerian immigrant, while walking through the Parisian streets on Christmas Eve after a party. Édouard took him back to his apartment, and the two enjoyed a pleasant night of long talks and sex. However, when Édouard came out of the shower, he noticed that Reda had stolen from him. Reda flew into a rage, threatened Édouard at gunpoint, and tried to strangle him with a scarf. In the end, Reda raped him and left.
After the incident, Édouard took refuge at his sister's and overheard her recounting the incident to her husband. The prejudice embedded in her version reminded him of his unpleasant family. When he went to the hospital for an examination, he sensed the bias of the medical staff toward homosexuals and STDs. When he read the police report riddled with homophobic and racist remarks, he felt as if the incident had morphed into another story.
Édouard LOUIS noted: "I want to be a writer of violence. I think the more you talk about violence, the more you can undo [it]." The history of violence is no longer the simple chronology of events pertaining to the rape but the multiple layers of discourse that in and of themselves are probable acts of violence. The novel and adaptation pose a question: does recounting the victim's story, inevitably, make a perpetrator?
OSTERMEIER's decision to create on such a topic concretely underlines that "art should participate in society and change society." Will the history of violence continue endlessly as long as people gather? By bringing up this issue, hopefully in the current times of chaos, we can walk into the theater to find an answer.
Pre-talk
2023/9/16(Sat)14:00 Playhouse 2F Lobby
2023/9/17(Sun)14:00 Playhouse 2F Lobby
Post-talk
2023/9/16(Sat)After performance at Playhouse Stage
2023/9/17(Sun)After performance at Playhouse Stage
Guest｜Assistant Director Amalia STARIKOW and the cast.
Host｜KENG Yi-wei, Dramaturg of Weiwuying
Creative and Production Team
Original Novel by Édouard LOUIS
Director｜Thomas OSTERMEIER
Adapted for the Stage by Thomas OSTERMEIER, Florian BORCHMEYER, Édouard LOUIS
German Translation｜Hinrich SCHMIDT-HENKEL
Collaboration Director｜David STÖHR
Set, Costume Designer｜Nina WETZEL
Music｜Nils OSTENDORF
Video｜Sébastien DUPOUEY
Dramaturgy｜Florian BORCHMEYER
Lighting Designer｜Michael WETZEL
Collaboration Choreography｜Johanna LEMKE
Actors｜Christoph GAWENDA, Laurenz LAUFENBERG, Renato SCHUCH, Alina STIEGLER
Musician｜Thomas WITTE
Coproduction with Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles and St. Ann's Warehouse Brooklyn.
Supported by LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin.
Team Introduction
Director｜Thomas OSTERMEIER
 |
One of the most well-known European theater directors of our time. A regular invitee of renowned festivals worldwide, such as Next Wave Festival in New York, Festival d'Avignon, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Edinburgh Art Festival. His productions of Nora and Hamlet were presented at the National Theater in Taipei in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Born in 1968, OSTERMEIER graduated from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, Berlin. In 1996, he took over the Baracke at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, as Artistic Director, which propelled him to fame. Since 1999 he has been Artistic Director at Schaubühne and founded the Festival International New Drama (FIND) in 2000. His recent acclaimed works include IBSEN's An Enemy of the People (2012), SHAKESPEARE's Richard III (2015), History of Violence (2018, adapted from Édouard LOUIS' autobiographical novel), Vernon Subutex 1 by Virginie DESPENTES (2021), and The Seagull by Anton CHEKHOV (2023). Six of his works have been invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin. He has received numerous awards, including the Venice Biennale Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (2011), an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent (2016) and Gothenburg (2019), and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2018). In 2009 Thomas OSTERMEIER was appointed "Officier des Arts et des Lettres" by the Ministry of Culture of France, and promoted to the degree of "Commandeur" in 2015.
Original Novel｜Édouard LOUIS
 |
Édouard LOUIS (born Eddy BELLEGUEULE) was born in 1992 into a working-class family in northern France. His childhood was fraught with bullying and abuse due to his sexual orientation. In 2011, he was admitted to L'École normale supérieure in Paris, the most prestigious university in France, becoming the first ever in his family to attend a university. By 2013, he had changed his name to Édouard LOUIS. His autobiographical novel The End of Eddy, published in 2014, was one of the best-selling books of the year translated into over 20 languages. His History of Violence, which analyzes his experience of being raped and almost murdered during a one-night stand, also became a hit after its 2015 publication. His works are deeply influenced by French sociologist Pierre BOURDIEU with 5 novels focused on issues concerning family of origin, homosexuality, social class, and societal violence.
The 2022 Brandhaarden Festival at International Theater Amsterdam showcased theater productions based on LOUIS' novels helmed by renowned directors Thomas OSTERMEIER from Germany, Ivo van HOVE from the Netherlands, Milo RAU from Belgium, and Kjersti HORN from Norway. The event ensured LOUIS' status as a cultural phenomenon in Europe.
Schaubühne Berlin (Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz)
The Schaubühne was founded in 1962. Since 1999 it has been led by artistic director Thomas OSTERMEIER. The foundation of his tenure was laid in the formation of a new ensemble of permanently employed actors, who essentially have been working together ever since, regularly extended by new appointments. The Schaubühne premieres a minimum of ten shows per season alongside a repertoire of over 30 existing productions.
Starting from the concept of an ensemble theater, the actors, dramatic characters and situations of a play take center stage at the Schaubühne. One of the theater's distinctive features is a stylistic variety in approaches to directing. The search for a contemporary and experimental theater language which focuses upon storytelling and a precise understanding of texts - both classical and contemporary - is a unifying element. The repertoire encompasses the great dramatic works of world literature alongside contemporary plays from internationally renowned writers.
Every spring since 2000 the Festival of International New Drama (FIND) has given internationally renowned theater makers the opportunity to show their work at the Schaubühne.
Special Thanks
 |
 |
 |
PHOTO© Arno Declair
Schaubühne Berlin - History of Violence
#Stereotype #RacialDiscrimination #Homophobia #ClassGap
History of Violence premiered in 2018 at Schaubühne Berlin, directed by Thomas OSTERMEIER and based on the autobiographical novel by young French writer Édouard LOUIS.
The stage adaptation of History of Violence possesses minimalist aesthetics. Sharing the stage with the actors is a percussive musician whose performance operates like a heartbeat or breath. The "OSTERMEIER elements" which are familiar to seasoned theater fans, include the projection, the sound design, and the actors' precise (fourth-wall-breaking) performance vividly bring the source material to life in a theater space.
History of Violence, the novel, recalls the author's date rape in Paris: Édouard met Reda, an Algerian immigrant, while walking through the Parisian streets on Christmas Eve after a party. Édouard took him back to his apartment, and the two enjoyed a pleasant night of long talks and sex. However, when Édouard came out of the shower, he noticed that Reda had stolen from him. Reda flew into a rage, threatened Édouard at gunpoint, and tried to strangle him with a scarf. In the end, Reda raped him and left.
After the incident, Édouard took refuge at his sister's and overheard her recounting the incident to her husband. The prejudice embedded in her version reminded him of his unpleasant family. When he went to the hospital for an examination, he sensed the bias of the medical staff toward homosexuals and STDs. When he read the police report riddled with homophobic and racist remarks, he felt as if the incident had morphed into another story.
Édouard LOUIS noted: "I want to be a writer of violence. I think the more you talk about violence, the more you can undo [it]." The history of violence is no longer the simple chronology of events pertaining to the rape but the multiple layers of discourse that in and of themselves are probable acts of violence. The novel and adaptation pose a question: does recounting the victim's story, inevitably, make a perpetrator?
OSTERMEIER's decision to create on such a topic concretely underlines that "art should participate in society and change society." Will the history of violence continue endlessly as long as people gather? By bringing up this issue, hopefully in the current times of chaos, we can walk into the theater to find an answer.
Pre-talk
2023/9/16(Sat)14:00 Playhouse 2F Lobby
2023/9/17(Sun)14:00 Playhouse 2F Lobby
Post-talk
2023/9/16(Sat)After performance at Playhouse Stage
2023/9/17(Sun)After performance at Playhouse Stage
Guest｜Assistant Director Amalia STARIKOW and the cast.
Host｜KENG Yi-wei, Dramaturg of Weiwuying
Creative and Production Team
Original Novel by Édouard LOUIS
Director｜Thomas OSTERMEIER
Adapted for the Stage by Thomas OSTERMEIER, Florian BORCHMEYER, Édouard LOUIS
German Translation｜Hinrich SCHMIDT-HENKEL
Collaboration Director｜David STÖHR
Set, Costume Designer｜Nina WETZEL
Music｜Nils OSTENDORF
Video｜Sébastien DUPOUEY
Dramaturgy｜Florian BORCHMEYER
Lighting Designer｜Michael WETZEL
Collaboration Choreography｜Johanna LEMKE
Actors｜Christoph GAWENDA, Laurenz LAUFENBERG, Renato SCHUCH, Alina STIEGLER
Musician｜Thomas WITTE
Coproduction with Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles and St. Ann's Warehouse Brooklyn.
Supported by LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin.
Team Introduction
Director｜Thomas OSTERMEIER
|
One of the most well-known European theater directors of our time. A regular invitee of renowned festivals worldwide, such as Next Wave Festival in New York, Festival d'Avignon, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Edinburgh Art Festival. His productions of Nora and Hamlet were presented at the National Theater in Taipei in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Born in 1968, OSTERMEIER graduated from the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts, Berlin. In 1996, he took over the Baracke at the Deutsches Theater Berlin, as Artistic Director, which propelled him to fame. Since 1999 he has been Artistic Director at Schaubühne and founded the Festival International New Drama (FIND) in 2000. His recent acclaimed works include IBSEN's An Enemy of the People (2012), SHAKESPEARE's Richard III (2015), History of Violence (2018, adapted from Édouard LOUIS' autobiographical novel), Vernon Subutex 1 by Virginie DESPENTES (2021), and The Seagull by Anton CHEKHOV (2023). Six of his works have been invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin. He has received numerous awards, including the Venice Biennale Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (2011), an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent (2016) and Gothenburg (2019), and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2018). In 2009 Thomas OSTERMEIER was appointed "Officier des Arts et des Lettres" by the Ministry of Culture of France, and promoted to the degree of "Commandeur" in 2015.
Original Novel｜Édouard LOUIS
|
Édouard LOUIS (born Eddy BELLEGUEULE) was born in 1992 into a working-class family in northern France. His childhood was fraught with bullying and abuse due to his sexual orientation. In 2011, he was admitted to L'École normale supérieure in Paris, the most prestigious university in France, becoming the first ever in his family to attend a university. By 2013, he had changed his name to Édouard LOUIS. His autobiographical novel The End of Eddy, published in 2014, was one of the best-selling books of the year translated into over 20 languages. His History of Violence, which analyzes his experience of being raped and almost murdered during a one-night stand, also became a hit after its 2015 publication. His works are deeply influenced by French sociologist Pierre BOURDIEU with 5 novels focused on issues concerning family of origin, homosexuality, social class, and societal violence.
The 2022 Brandhaarden Festival at International Theater Amsterdam showcased theater productions based on LOUIS' novels helmed by renowned directors Thomas OSTERMEIER from Germany, Ivo van HOVE from the Netherlands, Milo RAU from Belgium, and Kjersti HORN from Norway. The event ensured LOUIS' status as a cultural phenomenon in Europe.
Schaubühne Berlin (Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz)
The Schaubühne was founded in 1962. Since 1999 it has been led by artistic director Thomas OSTERMEIER. The foundation of his tenure was laid in the formation of a new ensemble of permanently employed actors, who essentially have been working together ever since, regularly extended by new appointments. The Schaubühne premieres a minimum of ten shows per season alongside a repertoire of over 30 existing productions.
Starting from the concept of an ensemble theater, the actors, dramatic characters and situations of a play take center stage at the Schaubühne. One of the theater's distinctive features is a stylistic variety in approaches to directing. The search for a contemporary and experimental theater language which focuses upon storytelling and a precise understanding of texts - both classical and contemporary - is a unifying element. The repertoire encompasses the great dramatic works of world literature alongside contemporary plays from internationally renowned writers.
Every spring since 2000 the Festival of International New Drama (FIND) has given internationally renowned theater makers the opportunity to show their work at the Schaubühne.
Special Thanks
|
|
|
PHOTO© Arno Declair
- Presenter: Weiwuying
- Duration is 120 minutes without intermission.
Performed in German with both English and Mandarin surtitles.
The performance contains nudity, sexual content, explicit portrayal of sexual violence, prop guns, and smoking on stage. Viewer discretion is advised.
- Age guidance 18+
- Latecomers must follow staff instructions for entry and re-entry.
- For Group Purchase Discounts, please contact 07-262-6666.
- More Offers
- 10% off for Weiwuying Lifestyle member
- 25% off for Weiwuying Youth member
- Weiwuying Unlimited member: 30% ticket discount for your first purchase. The additional ticket discount same as Lifestyle members.
- For details, please see Weiwuying Members Benefit
