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MEDUSA

Contemporary Playwriting and Inclusive Identities in Europe

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  • Zwei Personen nebeneinander; links Person mit langen Haaren vor grünem Hintergrund, rechts Person mit Brille und Schnurrbart vor weißem Hintergrund.

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If the myth of Medusa tells us about fear, then the transnational project MEDUSA begins by asking how these fears continue to have an effect today. And whether contemporary drama can help to overcome these fears and open up new channels for dialogue and the exchange of knowledge.

Six plays from Germany, Bulgaria and Italy – presented over three days in the Roter Salon in staged readings directed by Marie Bues, Salome Dastmalchi and Tobias Herzberg, with audience discussions and a big closing party.

The plays come from different languages, perspectives and theatre-worlds, but share a strong concern with contemporary identities, social change and underrepresented voices. They represent the diversity of contemporary European playwriting and explore new perspectives on questions of identity, social mobility, equality in education, gender, intergenerational solidarity, burnout, addiction, migration and social power relations.

Along with their artistic quality, the plays were selected for their transnational potential in particular, and their ability to resonate beyond linguistic and cultural borders.

All the plays will be presented in German:

SESSO (SEXUS) by Alessandro Paschitto

Notte Bianca (Lange Nacht) by Tatjana Motta

under the influence oder: die rückkehr der bakchen by Natalie Baudy

aufstiegskörper. ein fühlversuch by Lena Riemer

ДЕБЕЛАКЪТ (FETTSACK) by Silva Marinova

СИЛНИ. СМЕЛИ. СТРАХОВИТИ. (Stark. Mutig. Furchteinflößend.) by Teodora Georgieva

4th November, 6:30 p.m. | German Centre of the ITI

Ahead of this very first MEDUSA festival in Berlin, the International Theatre Institute (ITI) and the MEDUSA team will host a public discussion:

From Translation to Circulation: Three European Perspectives. The event will finish with the launch of the project and sparkling drinks to celebrate.

 

 

MEDUSA – Contemporary Playwriting and Inclusive Identities in Europe is a project by six partner organisations from Naples, Sofia and Berlin with the aim of not only supporting playwrights, but also strengthening a European cultural space in which underrepresented perspectives, social fears and dramatic narrative styles become more visible across national borders, and find new audiences.

After an observatory phase, during which two plays per country were selected at a residency in Italy, the six texts will now be presented in all three cities in staged readings at mini-festivals. The organisation Das Kombinat e.V., which promotes inclusive and critical artistic practices from its base in Berlin and curated the Grüner Salon last season, is responsible for the overall coordination of the Berlin festival. Das Kombinat e.V. and Drama Panorama: Forum für Übersetzung und Theater e.V. are working in partnership for the MEDUSA project in Germany.

Plays by Natalie Baudy, Teodora Georgieva, Silva Marinova, Tatjana Motta, Alessandro Paschitto, Lena Riemer

Directed by Marie Bues, Salome Dastmalchi, Tobias Herzberg

Performed by Knut Berger, Barbara Behrendt, Theresa Berlage, Anton Berman, Eddy Barroso, Joao D’Orey, Aylin Esener, Banafshe Hourmazdi, Via Jikeli, Nadim Jarrar, Patrick Khatami, Niklas Wetzel

Translated by Carola Köhler, Henrieke Markert, Alexander Sitzmann

Music by DJAZ & DJ SAESH (SIS Berlin Collecive & SoRealCrew inkl.)

MEDUSA Team in Berlin

Monica Marotta (Das Kombinat e.V.): Curator, Project and festival management

Sarah Rosenau (Das Kombinat e.V.): Communications, German Editing, Translations

Veronika Patočková (Das Kombinat e.V.): Financial Management

Charlotte Bomy (Drama Panorama e.V.): Curator, Project Management

Anna Galt (Drama Panorama e.V.): English Editing, Translations

Meera Teeßen: Assistant Director, Stage Manager

Runtime: Thu, 05/11/2026 to Sat, 07/11/2026

Next date: Silva Marinova / Tatjana Motta

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