School of Love

School of Love is a collaboration between the feminist performance collective Frauen und Fiktion and Hamburg's Klabauter Theater. In their joint production, they refer to Liv Strömquist's graphic novel Prince Charles' Feelings and question the power relations and problematic gender concepts often inscribed in heteronormative love relationships. As experts on the subject of love, the performers, directed by Gregor Schuster, guide the audience through all emotional states with a great deal of humor — from the first tingling in the stomach to the deep sadness of a heartbreak.

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Based on a joint workshop with the ensembles of both theater groups, we developed a visual branding and assumed the common desire — to actually be able to visit such a school of love — that it really exists as an institution. We then gave this utopian facility a stage design concept by combining elements from two very familiar spaces: the school and the bedroom.

Spacious partition walls, which we covered with fabrics reminiscent of cushion covers, sofa and bed sets, stood next to vertical slatted curtains that evoked both a pragmatically furnished classroom and a dusty, faded and forgotten school era. It was precisely this old-time dust that we spatially liberated the problematic institution of school by visually confronting it with contemporary branding and a fresh look at what, apart from reproductive biology, it unfortunately discusses and reflects on in little concrete terms to this day: Love, sex, gender and power.

The humorous production School of Love, which questions norms, celebrated its premiere at the Klabauter Theater on 31.03.2023.

Performance: Amon Nirandorn, Agnes Wessalowski, Dagmar Dethlefsen, Dorothee Reumann, Emily Willkomm, Florian Giese, Kamila Taller, Katrin Heins, Lars Pietzko, Thea Sagawe, Marc-André Steffen, Sabrina Fries, Sven Olejnik
Concept: Women and Fiction (Eva Kessler, Felina Levits, Anja Kerschkewicz, Paula Reissig)
Artistic direction: Anja Kerschkewicz, Felina Levits, Gregor Schuster
Direction and text version: Gregor Schuster
Dramaturgy and text version: Anja Kerschkewicz
Costumes: Felina Levits
Stage design and lighting concept: JASCHA&FRANZ
Music: Frieder Hepting
Choreography: Juliana Oliveira
Costume design: Caroline Packenius
Outside Eye text version and video images: Helen Schröder
Sex education advice: Annica Petri
Public relations: Freia Imsel (Klabauter Theater) and Anja Redecker
Production management: Maximiliane Barth (Klabauter Theater) and Fabia Mekus
Social assistance and counseling: Tina Erösova and Florian Polzin
Federal Volunteer Service: Natascha Gerdes and Malou Willer
Poster design: Felix Posner
Poster and flyer design: Studio Otenso

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