by Bertolt Brecht

The much acclaimed “Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouses” has traveled up and down the country, has been seen in Bonn, Münster, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Cologne.

With: Justine Hauer/Simin Soraya, Bettina Marugg, David Fischer, Manuel Klein, Andreas Meidinger, Harald Redmer
Director: Frank Heuel
Space and costumes: Annika Ley
Composition and vocal rehearsal: Gregor Schwellenbach
Photography: Josef Snobl
Dramaturgy: René Reinhardt
Assistant Director: Maggie Thomas
Production Management: Jörg Tewes
Public Relations: Claudia Grönemeyer

Premiere Leipzig on September 30, 2010 at Schaubühne Lindenfels
Premiere Bonn on 06 October 2010 in the theaterimballsaal

“Damn the times! The market lies devastated…” – A world of winners and losers. The great players in the feverish existence between incomprehensible flight of fancy and devastating fall on the one hand. The more or less desperate spectators on the other. Have we taken leave of our senses? Or what role can religion play in this? Or have money and faith become opiates that make it impossible to change the state of things? What influence does the individual have in a system that is developing an ever greater pull? And has a baseless greed gained power over man? These archaic as well as modern questions have moved director Frank Heuel to bring Bertolt Brecht’s play DIE HEILIGE JOHANNA DER SCHLACHTHÖFE to the stage.

Chicago’s meat king Mauler manipulates market and stock exchange. Only he earns from it. Factories close, cattle dealers and workers lose their jobs. Johanna Dark, armed with the belief in the good in people, goes up against Mauler, reaches her limits and finally sees only violence as a way out. Written in 1929/30, the piece refers to the current world situation in an almost visionary way.

Two actresses and four actors present the play full of characters. Musician Gregor Schwellenbach pushes the musical qualities of the ensemble with rousing new songs and concise sound samples. The production contrasts the sharply drawn figures from HOLY JOHANNA with the undisguised reality: parallel to the play, portraits of people from today’s often precarious working situation were created with the photo camera and in interviews.

… powerful imagery … admirable consistency … convincing staging. WDR5, scala +++ … voice- and image-violent theater from the All-Aller-Feinsten … (Rhein:Raum, Bonner Magazi)

highly topical … casual linguistic virtuosity … artistically outstanding fringe interpretation … definitely worth seeing … (kultur)

… like a drug intoxication or a painting of the Last Day … a strong piece … (Rheinisches Post)

A production of Johanna GbR/fringe ensemble/phoenix5. Sponsored by: Federal City of Bonn, Ministry for Family, Children, Youth, Culture and Sport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, City of Münster and Kunststiftung NRW.