In his new production, director Felix Hafner broadens theater’s horizons by uniquely addressing local actors and audiences, delving into the potentials and motivations for protest in rural communities, and focusing on the possible generation gaps within them. 

In recent years, there seems to be a growing divide between the old and the young on what is worth protesting for. The young attend Fridays for Future rallies to save the environment, while the old take to the streets to rail against the restriction of personal freedoms during the pandemic. Which historical experiences inform these different forms of protest, and are there ways of bridging them?

Working in three Styrian towns around Graz, Hafner invites young and elderly residents to become lay performers and express their own opinions about the future. Theatrical protest rallies and choreographies developed with participants during workshops over the summer are performed on Sunday afternoons in the central public spaces of Deutschlandsberg, Maria Lankowitz, and Weiz.

By and with citizens of Deutschlandsberg, Maria Lankowitz, and Weiz
Concept and direction: Felix Hafner
Dramaturgy: Emily Richards
Costumes and props: Helene Thümmel
Production: Lena Elsa Truppe

Link

https://2021.steirischerherbst.at/en/program/artists/2098/felix-hafner-and-ensemble