The Civil Wars
Milo Rau / International Institute of Political Murder
What causes young people to suddenly leave their families in Europe and to go to Syria or elsewhere to fight for a Salafist caliphate? Whereas Milo Rau tries in his earlier work to document, present, represent and therefore to better understand the incomprehensible – as the genocide in Rwanda or Anders Breivik’s justifications – , “The Civil Wars” returns this question to western society itself.
So, four actors of different generations are sitting in a petty bourgeois living room, they talk to a camera about their youth, about their fathers and how they broke with them. About revolt and cowardice, about possible radicalization and about what it means to be committed to something. About madness, faith and political believes – or, more precisely, what is left of them. What is it that keeps a society from falling apart in an era of political radicalization and wars breaking out all over the world? How does a time of cultural transition influence individual biographies? And can they vice versa tell something that is of more general significance?
“The Civil Wars” is until now Milo Rau’s most personal work, an intimate, intense chamber play with excellent actors that has the courage to deal with important social topics, and still remains focused on itself: what can be represented, what are the roles one can play? What can an actor show? And anyway: Is theater still a suitable medium of political reflection?
ON
| FRIDAY, JUNE 19 | 7pm | Mülheim an der Ruhr |
| Language VLS/FR with English ST | Autonomes Zentrum Mülheim | Tickets |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 20 | 19:00 h | Mülheim an der Ruhr |
| Language VLS/FR with German ST | Autonomes Zentrum Mülheim | Tickets |
Concept / Text / Direction: Milo Rau
Text / Play: Karim Bel Kacem, Sara De Bosschere, Sébastien Foucault, Johan Leysen
Research / Dramaturgy: Eva-Maria Bertschy
Stage / Costumes: Anton Lukas
Camera / Video Design: Marc Stephan
Sound / Sound Design: Jens Baudisch
Light Design: Abdeltife Mouhssin, Bruno Gilbert, Aymrik Pech
Musical Consulting: Colette Broeckert, Eurudike De Beul
Assistance in direction: Mirjam Knapp
Research /Translation / Transcript: Aurélie Di Marino
Scenery / Technical Assistence: Bruno Gilbert, Aymrik Pech
Production Management: Mascha Euchner-Martinez, Eva-Karen Tittmann
Public Relations: Yven Augustin
Corporate Design: Nina Wolters
Web Mastering: Jonas Weissbrodt
Theoretical Consulting / Editorial work: Rolf Bossart
A coproduction of IIPM – International Institute of Political Murder, Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brüssel, Beursschouwburg Brüssel, Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Kaserne Basel, Schlachthaus Theater Bern, La Bâtie – Festival de Genève, Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz Berlin, Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers Paris. Kindly supported by Stadt Zürich Kultur, Pro Helvetia, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Migros Kulturprozent, kulturelles.bl, Kanton St.Gallen Kulturförderung / Swisslos, Paul Schiller Stiftung, GGG Basel, Goethe-Institut Brüssel, Pianofabriek Brüssel. Thanks to Radouane Attiya, Dyab Abou Jahjah, Saliha Ben Ali, Bilal Benyaich, Dimitri Bontinck, Sébastien Courtoy, Christophe Marchand, Richard Millet, Anne Morelli, Kurt Pelda, Véronique Loute, Roland Van Der Hoeven, Cécile Vanderpelen, Jan Van Goethem, Françoise Wallemacq, Catherine Wilkin, Els Witte, Hosni Zahri – for their valuable collaboration in research.
