«MITOSIS – an LSD Opera»
Brandy Butler

The story being told here could be that of a close friend or even someone you barely know….perhaps your neighbor. It starts with an ordinary life and is disrupted by a visit to the doctor. What follows is a person betrayed by their own body, objectified by biomedical reductionism, and struggling to live at the very moment one must learn to let go.

However, written inside the lines of this story is yet another. That of a once-forbidden substance, now making a spectacular comeback through groundbreaking research showing its propensity to ease the fear of dying: —the hallucinogen LSD.

While critiquing the medicalization of illness and pop wellness ideology, the musical narrative of MITOSIS unfolds within the intimacy of talk therapy and hallucinogenic revelation. Designed and composed by an international team of transdisciplinary artists and starring theater newcomer Annie Goodchild (Post Modern Jukebox, Punch Drunk’s «Sleep No More»), director Brandy Butler unifies a rich mix of musical styles, scientific research, and voices to create an original and moving contemporary Opera.

In a culture that pushes death into the darkest corners of consciousness, MITOSIS forces us to confront the multiplicity at the heart of living and dying and reframes healing through a process of endless division in which the self is reconfigured through contact with life’s reflections of care.

Information on accessibility and language

The performance will take place in English spoken language with English and German surtitles. The production is very text-dense and works with creative surtitles. This means that the surtitles are integrated into the video projections and follow the aesthetics of the performance.

The performance is recommended for people aged 16 and over.

The show deals extensively with death, illness (cancer), dying and mourning. It also addresses (medical) drug use and depicts a trip.
Additional content notes: Portrayal of experiences with doctors, sounds of medical equipment, partial nudity, possible trypophobia triggers (fear of holes).

For people with access needs, we offer an early boarding 15 minutes before the start of the performance.

Sensory triggers: sound- and light-intensive; tactile bass; large-scale, changing projections; haze

Detailed information on accessibility is available at the box office or from the admission staff.