Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends

The Empire Strikes Back: Kingdom of the Synthetic

  • Performance
85 min

“The Empire Strikes Back" is an experiment in sci-fi anthropology. Suffused with nostalgia for Empire, Ariel Efraim Ashbel takes his ensemble of performers, musicians, scientists, artifacts and robots on a voyage through the history of the future, the future of race and the science of difference. A work of visual and ideological hybridism, "The Empire Strikes Back" indulges in the arresting representational fierceness of Empire, while declaring war on both the violent racist legacies of 'humanism' and the uncreative dystopia of identity politics.

“The Empire Strikes Back” is the sequel to the piece “All White People Look The Same To Me,” which was the international troupe's debut in HAU3 in 2013. In an exuberant, hybrid revue, Ashbel's new work plays with a wide range of historical, textual, visual and musical references from Afrofuturism to constructivism, science fiction and Techno-culture. Taking off where his last show concluded, the Empire strikes at a further sensual, spatial and choreographic abstraction: from identity to the body; from representation to surface; from White people to the black box of the theater. Faced with fierce humanist resistance, Ashbel's mob of freedom fighters combats evil lords, opening up a horizon of new theatrical mutations and unimaginable spectacles.
dasimperiumschlaegtzurueck.tumblr.com

Production: Ariel Efraim Ashbel and friends. Co-production: HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Kampnagel (Hamburg), FFT (Düsseldorf). Funded by Capital Culture Fund Berlin.

Cast

Direction: Ariel Efraim Ashbel / Research and concept: Romm Lewkowicz / By and with: Santiago Blaum, Jessica Gadani, Tamara Saphir, Tatiana Saphir, Jan-Sebastian Šuba / Featuring: Hacklander\ Hatam, Mat Hand / Head of Visuals: Alona Rodeh / Costumes: Sandra Fink / Musical direction: Yoni Silver / Technology and technical direction: Yair Reshef / Lighting: Andreas Harder / Outside Eye: Stefanie Wenner / Assistant director: Joseph Wegmann / Production Intern: Daniel Sauermilch / Production and Press: björn & björn

Dates

Past
  • Tue 30.6.2015, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Wed 1.7.2015, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Thu 2.7.2015, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Fri 3.7.2015, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Sat 4.7.2015, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Thu 14.4.2016, 20:00 / HAU2
  • Fri 15.4.2016, 20:30 / HAU2

Location

HAU2
Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin

There are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available. Four relaxed seats are available in the first row of HAU2. Tickets for wheelchair users and accompanying persons can also be booked via the ticketing system. If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or send us an email to
tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de.

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