The story of Romeo and Julia in a nutshell: madly in love, secretly married, tragically deceased. Before and after: murder and manslaughter. In this production, Shakespeare’s play serves merely as inspiration. The real star of the evening is the ensemble itself, which engages with the classic through its own unique memories, images and stories.
What makes the collaboration between the independent theatre collective i can be your translator and members of the Schauspiel Dortmund ensemble so remarkable is the director’s approach. Director Linda Fisahn sits at the director’s desk amongst the audience during the performances, ready to intervene in the action at any moment as she sees fit. A radically personal perspective: scenes are skipped or cut if they don’t please – or rewound again and again to the kissing scene. The director treads a fine line between the consistent exercise of power and corrective self-empowerment.
With its unabashed radicalism in cutting, the evening invites us to ask ourselves: How do I see Romeo and Julia? Which love stories have shaped me? And which forms of love would I still indulge in today – and which have long since been poisoned?
Text: Jonas Leifert for FAVORITEN Festival
