Lessons of Leaking

by Dmitij Gawrisch

EXPERIMENTAL STAGE (-1)

Germany in 2021. After the multiple crises of the last decade, the vision of a united Europe has given way to the reality of an overarching security apparatus. The society is devided: critics of all political camps demand that Germany quit the European Union whereas supporters of the EU want to hold on to the old ideal of a community of solidary. To appease the situation, the German government let the people decide in a referendum on quitting the Union. A couple of days before the vote, a young PR agent gets hold of top secret information. Its publication would have severe consequences for Europe as a whole.

In “Lessons of Leaking” machina eX reflects the moral conflicts between the conflicting priorities of democracy, transparency, freedom of speech and manipulation. In collaboration with the playwright DmitrijGawrisch, the media collective develops a theatrical game, where political ideals and personal interests are pitted irreconcilable against each other. In a group of ten, the audience enacts a political thriller and makes wide-ranging decisions on the course of history: To leak or not to leak?


EUROPOLY is a European project for theatre and film by the Goethe-Institut in cooperation with MünchnerKammerspiele, Onassis Cultural Centre Athens, Sirenos – Vilnius International Theatre Festival, Teatro Maria Matos Lisbon and Tiger Dublin Fringe.

Running time : 80 min.

• Director machina eX ( Anna Fries)
• Text Dmitrij Gawrisch
• Concept machina eX, Clara Ehrenwerth
• Set design Anna Fries, Franziska Riedmiller
• Technical support, programming and interaction design Lasse Marburg, Philip Steimel
• Video animation Konrad Jünger
• Camera Paula Reissig
• Sound design Mathias Prinz
• Dramaturgy Clara Ehrenwerth
• Costumes Daniela Bayer
• Asst. set design Winnie Christiansen
• Asst. programming and interaction design BenediktKaffai
• Technical production manager Philip Steimel
• Production manager Sina Kießling
• Translation Lucy Renner Jones
• Production machina eX
• coproduction Münchner Kammerspiele, Goethe-Institut, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, FFT Düsseldorf, Gessnerallee Zürich
• ROXY Birsfelden, Südpol Luzern, AUAWIRLEBEN Theaterfestival Bern

• Sponsor Kulturverwaltung der Senatskanzlei Berlin, Fonds Darstellende Künste

Cast:

• Jan Jaroszek
• Nora Decker
• Ayana Goldstein
• (Video) Benita Sarah Bailey, Cora Frost, Walter Hess, Maria José Morales Folgueras