Wer darf hier Mann sein?

In the organizer's words:

Dance

Choreographies by Tom Weinberger, Arianna Di Francesco and Imre & Marne van Opstal
with little or no language

Identity, masculinity, humanity - three words linked to the question of how we become the people we are. Three perspectives on the body, on the expectations that are placed on it, on experiences that are inscribed in it. And three artistic signatures: Arianna Di Francesco, Tom Weinberger and the sibling duo Imre & Marne van Opstal, winners of the German Theater Prize DER FAUST 2024 in the field of choreography. Audiences were already able to experience the intensity of their choreographic language in the trio "The little man" at the NTM in 2022. The two world premieres and special Mannheim version touch on larger social questions: How is identity created? What does violence do to a body that is exposed to it? How does masculinity shape our thinking? Arianna Di Francesco opens the evening with "I AM THE ORANGE TREE IN MY HEAD" about the freedom of not having to commit. The main character defends himself against the pressure of having to explain himself. Identity appears as something fluid, as layers that are deposited. The body becomes a place of authenticity, a counter-image to linguistic labels. Tom Weinberger's "POSTLUDE" makes us feel how war changes bodies. He searches for an artistic response to violence - for a space that makes humanity possible when harshness threatens. His choreography combines movement and voice, tenderness and sensitivity. Gender plays no role here. What matters is what it means to be human when the world is falling apart at the seams. Imre & Marne van Opstal then turn their attention to masculinity - to its poses, its fractures, its longing. Initially in exaggerated images of strength, which then dissolve, showing vulnerability - and revealing the universal need to be seen and recognized. An echo of the childish call: "MOMMY, LOOK!" The piece was premiered at Theater Basel in 2023 with 5 dancers. In the Mannheim version, five men and five women dance, giving the choreography a new energy and power. This content has been machine translated.