The Assembly
In ‘The Assembly’, we test how assemblies can be structured, and the conditions under which they take place. ‘The Assembly’ itself is a large gathering with guests and audience. The purpose is renegotiated every time.
What would an assembly look like where everyone shares knowledge equally? Where we learn what we want, and from each other? Where decisions can be made but don’t have to? Where we feel comfortable?
We can sit down in different places in the room on a trial basis, listen to each other and the eight participating international artists, sing a song, be silent together, build a cave, design an opera as a common good or do something completely different.
‘The Assembly’ is a relaxed performance for adults and children.
The performance will take place in German and English. Whispered translation between both languages is offered.
‘The Assembly’ is a series of events created in the 22/23 season in cooperation with Theater Rampe in Stuttgart and will continue from 8.6.2023 in the first Schaudepot for the performing arts and elsewhere.
Press
“Is this still art, or is it activism? People from a wide range of backgrounds come together in ‘The Assembly’. Stuttgart audiences, artists and activists spend 90 minutes discussing major questions in groups and plenary sessions on the basis of specific tasks: How do we want to live? What can we change? How can this be set up?
Anyone familiar with the work of Herbordt/Mohren (Melanie Mohren and Bernhard Herbordt), of course, immediately suspects that ‘The Assembly’ must be one of their projects. Since 2010, with titles as weighty as ‘The Performance’, ‘The Rehearsal’, ‘The Play’, ‘The Monologue’ and ‘The Society’, they have been examining the components of theatre and its references to people, questioning them, measuring them, challenging them. And thus change not only the view of the performative arts, but at best also the world.’
Georg Kasch, Blog Fonds Performing Arts, 2023
Credits
Concept, artistic direction: Melanie Mohren, Bernhard Herbordt
Performance: Judica Albrecht, Jorge Alencar, Matthias Engler, Gunnhildur Einarsdottir, Nana Hülwig, Carmen Kleykens Vidal, Neto Machado, Tina Pantisano, Steven Solbrig, Emilija Tolj, Armin Wieser
Stage: Leonie Mohr, Hannes Hartmann
Consultation, Audio description: Matthias Nagel
Production management: Andrea Oberfeld (ehrliche arbeit – freies kulturbüro organization)
Research: Felicitas Arnold
Coordination: Marlis Wiedemann
Graphic design: Demian Bern
Whispered translation: Jule Bröcker
‘The Assembly’ is a production by Herbordt/Mohren (The Institution) in cooperation with Theater Rampe, funded by the State Capital Stuttgart and the Performing Arts Fund from funds of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media within the framework of NEUSTART KULTUR.