Community and played intrigue: “Titus Andronicus” is given in the JVA Tegel.
Photo: Thomas Aurin
In the courtyard of the Berlin-Tegel correctional facility, an unusual spectacle unfolds: An ensemble of prisoners performs the bloody “Titus Andronicus” revenge according to William Shakespeare, Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Heiner Müller as a comedy. Directed by Peter Atanassow, one of the artistic heads of the prison theater, the staging is shown throughout June. 18 amateur actors, all imprisoned, bring the history of the Roman general Titus to the open -air stage, which after a victorious campaign against the Goths gets into a circulation of cruel retaliation and revenge: the viewer can count at least 14 murders, rape and various mutilation during the performance.
The selection of the work has a programmatic effect: In its extreme representation of violence and through topics such as honor, betrayal and revenge, the piece also reflects social struggle for guilt, violence and justice – especially in the context of the prison system. “All of our pieces are about crossing border, regular violations and the relationship between individual and society,” explains Atanassow. The director is interested in how “individuals fit into a community, when it gets too tight and how they deal with it – passive or fighting”.
The staging focuses on Titus’ change from the victorious general to the perpetrator and victims of brutal intrigue. In the end, he will succumb to one himself. “The revenge is going empty -handed,” it says in the piece and the question of justice remains open. Atanassow relies on massive choir passages with its ensemble – here you can tell that the processing of the piece has been incorporated by Heiner Müller – and a very physical representation that emphasizes pathos and brutality. However, they are repeatedly interrupted by singing and Klamauk.
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The ensemble developed the piece in a rehearsal process lasting several weeks – voluntarily and in their free time, as the detainees emphasized in the subsequent public discussion. “This creates a community, even if there are of course always conflicts,” says actor H. Peter Maier, who convincingly gives the Emperor Saturnin in the play. The social effect of this work and negotiation process is extremely large, adds Atanassow. »The prisoners experience collectivity, but also recognition and attention. This increases self -esteem. ”For Atanassow, a successful contribution to re -socialization.
The production manager Sibylle Arndt also emphasizes the social importance of the theater. For them it is a “mediation offer” that opens the prison nistors for the public and creates points of contact between the high culture and the daily daily day. “For social cohesion, it is essential that different groups and layers get to know each other and understand themselves as part of a common society.” This is a first step towards reintegration of the prisoners.
But while the audience and players get involved in this encounter after the performance, the prison theater faces existential financial problems. In December 2024 it was announced that the funds are reduced from the Justice Tent by 70 percent – from around 202,000 euros to only 60,000 euros annually. The cultural administration continues to promote around 110,000 euros. Overall, the budget was halved, explains Arndt.
»Our future is affected with many question marks and uncertainties. There is no longer any planning security, «adds. Although newly recruited funds from the Lotto Foundation will help this year, long-term perspectives are missing. But what happens when the stage empties and the headlights go out? For the detainees who not only play here, but also bring themselves in and create a joint work process, this would be a bitter setback – not only for their personal development, but also for re -socialization through culture.
Next performances: 12th, 13th and 17th June
www.gefaengnistheater.de
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