Flamboyant and butch queen, cripped and queer: Butching Cowboys celebrates a new body norm. Anajara Amarante takes the audience into their queer version of South American surrealism and creates entire dance landscapes out of it. On stage, the performers free themselves from everything in which they feel like “Fremdkörper” or "weird bodies" – the symbols, clothing and doctor’s offices –, and also leave behind learned and imposed behaviors. Closely connected to the artists, the audience experiences a crescendo evening that is both visual protest and ritual celebration. Grief and anger about a society in which a multitude of bodies still find no place become a new way of self-empowerment here.

The festival Queering the Crip, Cripping the Queer takes place in cooperation with the Schwulen Museum, which presents the exhibition of the same name from September 1 to January 30, 2023, and questions the fantasy of the ideal body with artworks by 24 international contemporary artists.

The performance lasts about 80 minutes without an intermission. English, German and Portuguese spoken language as well as English and German written language will be used. All longer texts are subtitled in English and German, but not all scenes are performed in spoken language(s). There are also various text, image and video projections.

The audience is arranged in an L-shape on two sides of the stage. The performers often come close to the front row, and in one scene they briefly enter the audience only partially clothed. Hay is used as well as stage fog several times, which is blown directly into parts of the audience. There is a chemical smell in the air. A loud wind machine, animal masks and confetti are also used. In the second scene, a tense, threatening atmosphere is created for several minutes. In addition, there are two sudden loud frightening moments. In another scene, the room is almost completely darkened and an uncanny atmosphere is created. Later, a prop is hit several times with a loud bang. In the last scene, loud music, a spinning disco ball, coloured light changes and fog are used simultaneously.

Audio description in German is available for all performances, preceded by a touch tour for blind and visually impaired people. The guided tour begins 75 minutes before the performance. The meeting point is at the box office in the Sophiensaele courtyard. Ticket reservations are accepted by Hannah Aldinger at barrierefreiheit@sophiensale.com or by calling 030 278900 35. If required, we offer a pick-up service for blind and visually impaired persons from the nearby S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations Hackescher Markt and Weinmeisterstraße. To make use of the pick-up service, please contact us during our business hours (Monday to Friday between 10 am and 6 pm) at 030 27 89 00 30 or barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com.

The performance is a Relaxed Performance. Relaxed Performances welcome all visitors for whom sitting still for long periods of time in the theatre is a barrier (for example autistic people, people with Tourette's, learning difficulties or chronic pain). Noises and movements from the audience are welcome. Visitors can leave and return to the auditorium at any time.

The audience area on the grandstand is seated. There are four wheelchair seats and four beanbag seats, which can be reserved according to availability or purchased in the online ticket shop or at the box office. Persons with disabilities receive reduced tickets at a price of 10€ plus one free ticket for an accompanying person. For questions or more information, please contact Hannah Aldinger at barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35.

COVID-SAVE | In order to ensure greater safety distances, the auditorium is only filled to 70% of its capacity. The Sophiensaele team and the artists test themselves daily.