Conference of the Absent

By Haug / Kaegi / Wetzel

Luxembourg, Théâtre National du Luxembourg
29.11. – 01.12.2021

Prague, Prager Theaterfestival deutscher Sprache
06.12.2021

Brussels, Kaaitheater
08. – 09.12.2021

[From Rimini Protokoll Website] There is a crisis! And in times of global crisis, it’s all about global cooperation. Nevertheless, this time the crisis is being dealt with locally – on behalf of the world: at a conference that no one needs to book a flight or mount a train for. A performance to which the invited experts and speakers do not appear physically, but are represented by local people who only receive their script at the beginning of their presentation. In CONFERENCE OF THE ABSENT, the audience observes people from their own city as they take on the identity of an absent conference speaker.

Completely without CO2-emissions and bad Skype or Zoom connections, but with all the performative means of the theater, the contributions and contradicting theses on the consequences of globalization will be delivered into the theater space – and settle them within it. 

The advantage of not being there – not having to be everywhere at all – becomes a joint play that can be experienced anew every evening. At the center of this game are people who become carriers of ideas and playfully acquire both biographies of experts as well as their thoughts. In this way, absence becomes an added value because it creates space for new enrollments and unexpected perspectives. Ghostwriters and speechwriters, co-authors and directors at the same time, Rimini Protokoll turns documentary co-authorship into remote directing.  

Concept / Text / Direction: Helgard Haug, Stefan Kaegi, Daniel Wetzel Video- and Light design: Marc JungreithmeierSound design: Daniel Dorsch
Research / Dramaturgy: Imanuel Schipper, Lüder Pit Wilcke
with the voice of: Nadja Stübiger
and thee prompting voices of: Henriette Hölzel, David Kosel, Hans-Werner Leupelt und Karina Plachetka
Cooperation political-cultural education: Dr. Werner Friedrichs
Production Management: Epona Hamdan
Dramaturgy Assistance: Sebastian Klauke
Directing Assistance: Lisa Homburger and Maximilian Pellert
Stage Assistance: Maksim Chernykh
Production Assistance: Federico Schwindt 

A production of Rimini ApparatIn co-production with Staatsschauspiel Dresden, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin) and Goethe-Institut. The concept creation was funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Photo: Sebastian Hoppe

Source: https://www.rimini-protokoll.de/website/en/project/konferenz-der-abwesenden