HEROEN
by Die sTrotzenden
A AOK and Paradise Gardens Productions co-production
directed by Jens Vilela Neumann
HEROES
Nobody wants to be sick. Not for the sake of health. Not because of all the limitations and the social consequences. Not even for the sake of money or sexuality. We would rather be HEROES, heroes as we know them from stories, from the beginning of time. And from Hollywood. We want to break into new worlds, mentally and physically independently, emotionally self-confident. We want to be adventurers in our lives, to experience new things, to be fascinating, to master challenges - the outcome is uncertain, a "happy ending" desired.
Die sTrotzenden
The theatre and self-help group consists of people with chronic diseases; their first production in 2018 dealt with their very own theme, Ein Leben mit Krebs [A Life With Cancer]. In the following year, their new theatre production addressed the question of how one finds one's place with “illnesses” in our vitalised society, which is addicted to optimisation. In 2020 the journey of Die sTrotzenden will continue, it is not only about the taboo topics health-money-sexuality, but also about parallels between the stony path through the course of an illness and a hero's journey.
We experience initiations on the inner battlefield: Where does social responsibility end, where does personal responsibility for a healthy life begin? Can the often adventurous negative cycles of illness biographies be broken? Can illnesses also lead to positive changes in life? What are the precious treasures that our HEROES bring home from their adventure?