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Programme focus: Communities of Hope

«JUICE»
River Roux

PerformanceCovid Safe Space

‘JUICE’ confronts the categorisation of androgynous, illegible and disobedient bodies.

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  • Fri 17/0420:00–21:35

    Halle

  • Sat 18/0420:00–21:35

    Followed by a talk

    Halle

    • Translation in DSGS
In ‘JUICE’, River Roux enters a transparent room and is confronted with looks ranging from desire to disgust, attraction to shame. Copyright: Fotonoid

In 1820, 19-year-old Mademoiselle Lefort's international career took off with an exhibition. She was presented to the public as an ‘irresistible attraction in which the sexes are equally united’. What Lefort felt at the time is unknown. The way her body has been studied and looked upon by doctors has been meticulously documented.

To this day, medical science declares inter* persons as a biological phenomenon and anatomical impossibility. Evaluation by evaluation dissects, examines, evaluates, and ultimately invalidates their existence.

In the performance ‘JUICE’, River Roux enters a transparent space. Whether museum, strip club or observatory, the gazes directed at her oscillate between desire and disgust, between attraction and shame. Roux examines the fascination with bodies in-between: Which body is perceived as ‘natural’, which as insurgent? And who is allowed to exist beyond fetishization?

Covid-safer event

All events in the programme focus Communities of Hope take place as Covid-safer events. Therefore, testing and masks are mandatory for this event. Tests and masks will be provided on site. You can find more information here.

Information on accessibility and language 

  • Stepless access

  • Language: in English spoken language with DSGS interpreting on April 18s

  • Content Notes: discussion of forced medical interventions, of discrimination of trans and inter* persons as well as death, sex and kink/fetish; nakedness

  • sensory triggers: loud sounds and noises, explosion-like noises

  • The play is about Marie Lefort.

    Marie Lefort was a woman with a beard.

    She lived in the 19th century.

    Many people found her body strange.

    Many doctors examined her.

    Even today, doctors often examine intersex people.

    Inter people are people

    who are not clearly male or female.

    Even today, many people still have a problem with other bodies.

    In the play, River Roux stands in a transparent room.

    The audience watches her.

    The play asks questions:

    • Which bodies are normal?

    • Who decides what is normal?

  • Concept, Text, Performance
    River Roux
    Co-Creation:
    Bibiana Mendes
    Stage Design, Costume Design, Lighting:
    Teresa Heiss
    Music, Sounddesign:
    Olive Mondegreen
    Dramaturgy:
    Lili Hering
    Production:
    Tobias Frühauf (Tacheles und Tarantismus), Philipp Wolpert (Tacheles und Tarantismus)
    A co-production by:
    Theaterschiff Heilbronn, Tacheles and Tarantismus and Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz

  • River Roux is a performance artist, writer and dancer on the pole. Her work centres the connections between labor, gender, care and sex. She was part of the Berlin Stripper‘s Collective from 2021 to 2023. In 2024 Bibiana Mendes & River Roux developed the solo JUICE, since a part of the repertoire at Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. In 2025, Roux co-conceptualised ANDROGYNOUS in collaboration with Lola Arias at the Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin. In the season 26/27 Roux will be joining the Ensemble of Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Mendes & Roux‘s new work,  ‚prick prick boom‘, will premiere there in May 2026. Roux‘s work has been shown at Gropiusbau Berlin, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Maxim-Gorki Theatre, auawirleben Festival Bern, Gessnerallee Zurich, Münchner Kammerspiele, 6 Tage Frei Festival Stuttgart and Schwankhalle Bremen.

  • Baden-Württemberg Stiftung and the project funding of Landesverband Freie Tanz- und Theaterschaffende Baden-Württemberg (LaFT BW) e.V. LaFT BW e.V. is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.

    The programme focus Communities of Hope is supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation. 

Copyright: Fotonoid

Copyright: Fotonoid

Copyright: Fotonoid

Gessnerallee programme focus 2025/26

From 9 to 18 April, the programme focus ‘Communities of Hope’ at Gessnerallee invites you to explore practices of solidarity and hopeful strategies for community building, and to celebrate queer aesthetics. All events will take place in a Covid-safer format.

«Belonging Space»
Stephanie Müller & Theres Indermaur
09/04 – 18/04
Installation, Resting space

«MASTEKTOMIE. Ein bittersüsses Abschiedslied»
CHICKS* freies performancekollektiv
09/04, 10/04
Performance

«Ich möchte nicht die perfekte Geschichte schreiben»
Mani Owzar
11/04
Reading

«Anouchka Gwen»
11/04
Concert

«Ich möchte nicht die perfekte Geschichte schreiben»
Mani Owzar
12/04
Writing workshop

«Zusammensein. Plädoyer für eine Gesellschaft der Gegenseitigkeit»
Hadija Haruna-Oelker
16/04
Reading

«JUICE»
River Roux
17/04, 18/04
Performance

More Shows

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