Kay Matter: Helena oder Stay safe and sorry / Muskeln aus Plastik

We are delighted that a special guest will be opening the new season of Literatur:Raum: together with members of the Kammerspiele ensemble, Kay Matter will be reading from the play “Helena oder Stay safe and sorry” and from the prose work “Muskeln aus Plastik”. The discussion with the author will be led by the curator of the series, Dîlan Z. Çapan.

Helena is called home: by her boyfriend Menelaus, who flies after her and insists that she break off her vacation on the cruise ship. But above all, Helena is haunted: by the brief moment of her encounter with a sperm whale, which fundamentally shifts her perspective. She can no longer separate herself from the non-human inhabitants of this planet; Helena has forgotten how to ignore their cries: The animals make themselves heard, they stare back and raise their voices in complaint. How do we deal with the paradox of being part of an ecosystem and at the same time part of an economic system that is destroying the livelihoods of everyone, including non-human beings? “Helena or Stay safe and sorry” tells of this great conflict and invents characters who become feverishly overheated in the process. Their impotent, overdriven actionism seems familiar and definitely makes us laugh.

Kay has a serious crush – and a serious illness. The crush is always followed by a crash, severe palpitations by migraines, making out by aching limbs. While Kay tries to escape the consequences of Long Covid, only the longing for Aron and the desire for a strong, androgynous body bring relief. “Muscles of Plastic” deals with chronic illness and transness – and the way our society thinks and talks about “healthy” bodies. Beyond all formal and intellectual traditions, Kay Matter explores the thin line between pleasure and pain, imagining new forms of care, intimacy and queer resistance – the result is an impressive, intuitive and moving debut.

Access information: Access to the Werk*raum is wheelchair accessible. For people who have problems sitting in conventional theater seats for longer periods of time, we will set up some armchairs, beanbags and sofas in the front audience area. There is a pre-admission 30 minutes before the start of the performance so that those affected can arrive earlier and take their seats according to their needs. To enable people who are sensitive to sensory stimuli to enjoy a more relaxed visit to the theater, we will set up the room in a cozy, warm light. There will only be two lighting moods that alternate between reading and moderated conversation. There will also be no sound effects during the performance apart from the people reading and speaking.

We would also like to make a mask recommendation for the evening so that vulnerable people are safer with us.

Kay Matter

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Lee Everett Thieler

Dîlan Z. Çapan

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Sima Dehgani

Kay Matter

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Lee Everett Thieler

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