Flinn Works: Men in Feminism – Vinod, Thomas und U-Mugabo – Sophiensæle | Independent Theater in Berlin
Program
Flinn Works:
Men in Feminism – Vinod, Thomas und U-Mugabo
Men in Feminism – Vinod, Thomas und U-Mugabo
10€/15€/20€/25€
Premiere
3 × 45 min. with intermissions for set changes
The trilogy Men in Feminism examines the role of privileged men in feminism from German/Swiss, Rwandan, and Indian perspectives – by and with men and feminists. What roles do men play in feminism and what do feminists want from the most privileged men in their societies?
The three performance parts of Men in Feminism are shown one after the other: The physical theater performance Vinod (India) deconstructs Bollywood’s images of masculinity. Thomas (Germany/Switzerland) is a subversive stand-up comedy performance, and U-Mugabo (Rwanda) is a feminist choreography developed by male dancers.
Vinod
Vinod is a real man, as masculine as can be. Vinod is an actor. Vinod is in love. And true to his name, Vinod is a joy, at least he thinks so. Vinod is a performance that explores the idea of the feminist man in today’s India with a male performer from the upper caste. Between confession and criticism, ritual and rebellion, the performance moves like an ongoing rehearsal – a space in which masculinity is performed, disrupted, and suspended. Guided by a disembodied voice – at once director, conscience, and social echo – the performer allows personal memories to collide with myths, cinema and traditional male ideals.
Thomas
What lies behind failure as a man in patriarchy and failure as a stand-up comedian who is no longer funny? Is this the tentative beginning of “Thomas” unlearning old patterns? With a microphone on an empty stage, Thomas and Lisa perform their way through bad jokes, statistics, extreme situations and suppressed feelings. They explore the gap between attentive masculinity and feminist demands.
U-Mugabo
There is no word for feminism in the Kinyarwanda language, even though gender equality is promoted politically at every level in Rwanda and 64% of the seats in parliament are held by women. Through movement, words and collective exploration, U-Mugabo questions masculinity and cultural privileges and encourages dialogue. The performance shows how two Rwandan men perceive and struggle with political equality and female power.
The information on accessibility is still in progress and will be updated as soon as possible. If any questions remain unanswered until then, please feel free to contact the communication department at barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35. Please note that details may change by the day of the event. Therefore, if you find out after you have purchased your ticket that the performance is no longer accessible to you, you can contact us for a ticket return at ticketing@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 45 until 5 business days after the event (Monday through Friday between 10am and 6pm).
Early boarding
If, for artistic reasons, the door to the auditorium does not open until very shortly before the performance begins, there is the option of early boarding.
Tickets
- Reservations can be made via the ticket telephone at 030 283 52 66, Monday to Friday from 4pm-6pm
- Via the online ticket shop
- At the box office
You can also find more information about accessibility at the house here.
Team Rwanda
Performance, concept, co-direction, co-choreography: Desiré Arsène Ndayishimiye, Bingo Regis
Artistic direction, co-direction, co-choreography: Wesley Ruzibiza
Cooperation partner: Amizero Dance Company
Team India
Creative producer: Alif
Concept, performance: Abhay Mahajan
Set design: Kushal Mahant
Dramaturgy: Sridhar Prasad
Co-concept, co-development, direction: Sharanya Ramprakash
Production assistant: Mahati Systla
Team Switzerland/Germany
Lighting design: Susana Alonso
Costumes: Susanne Boner
Performance: Johannes Dullin
Movement coach: Elias Kurth
Composition, sound design: Andi Otto
Artistic direction, performance: Lisa Stepf
Artistic direction, direction: Sophia Stepf
Artistic collaboration: Maja Zagórska
Production management: Marit Buchmeier & Lisanne Grotz / xplus3 Produktionsbüro
A production by Flinn Works in co-production with Amizero Kompagnie, Alif, Bühne Aarau und Sophiensæle. Funded by the Capital Cultural Fund (HKF). Media partners: Missy Magazine, Siegessäule, taz.
Flinn Works (led by Sophia Stepf and Lisa Stepf) engages with issues of globalization, focusing on postcolonial and feminist questions. The performances and installations are based on extensive research and draw on the personal perspectives of international participants to create a multi-perspective dramaturgy. At the intersection of ethnology and documentary formats, the productions evolve their form as a consequence of the content and the talents of the team involved. Flinn Works has received three META Awards in New Delhi, the Förderpreis of the Zürcher Kantonalbank, the Tabori Award of the Fonds Darstellende Künste, and the award of the International Theatre Institute Germany. The projects are presented in Germany, Switzerland, India, and Tanzania.
Johannes Dullin (Switzerland/Germany) is a comedian, actor, performer and theater maker. He works at the intersection of theater, performance and comedy. Trained at the Accademia Teatro Dimitri and the University of the Arts Bern, he has worked at numerous European theaters and festivals. Since 2014, Dullin has focused on solo works, which have received multiple awards and have been presented internationally. He also founded Banality Dreams, was a member of Authentic Boys and teaches as a lecturer at various art universities.
Abhay Mahajan (India) is an actor and movement artist. His work spans theater, television, cinema and digital storytelling. He is best known for his role as Saurabh Mandal in TVF Pitchers (TV series). As a founding member of the Natak Company in Pune, he has participated in over 30 productions with more than 400 performances, including internationally touring plays and adaptations. He trained in contemporary dance (Attakaleri, Bangalore). In his performances, he explores the intersection of body, presence and storytelling. He has been awarded the Vinod Doshi Fellowship and the INLAKS Theatre Award.
Sharanya Ramprakash (India) is a theater maker based in Bengaluru, working at the intersection of gender, tradition, and language. She writes, performs, directs and collaborates with a wide range of formats, communities and theater makers on local, national and international levels. Her work is research-based, collaborative and exploratory. She is an INLAKS Fellow and a member of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab in New York. She received the Shankar Nag Theatre Award in 2022.
Sridhar Prasad (India) is a social scientist working at a policy think tank based in Bengaluru. His research areas include gender studies, municipal governance, and accountability. Over the past ten years, he has also collaborated with director Sharanya Ramprakash on three of her stage productions, contributing research, cultural context, and feedback.
Alif (India) is a multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to producing, capacity building, and representing artists in the performing arts. Alif is known for its bold, innovative work that brings together diverse voices and invests in the future of the arts through mentoring, workshops, and industry initiatives. With care and integrity, the organization represents exceptional artists and manages the distribution of their work. Guided by the values of courage, excellence, respect, and integrity, Alif builds ecosystems that empower artists, connect communities, and inspire change.
Bingo Regis (Rwanda) is a Rwandan actor, director, and playwright committed to developing a professional, sustainable, and community-rooted theater practice. He has performed in or written several productions, with his works staged nationally and internationally across Africa and Europe — including at renowned venues in Paris and Berlin. Trained by local and international mentors, Regis combines artistic vision, professionalism, and social engagement in his theater practice.
Desire Arsène Ndayishimiye (Rwanda) is a Rwandan choreographer, dancer, and dance teacher based in Kigali. As the artistic director of the Next Move Dance Company, he creates contemporary works that address identity, emotions, and transformation. With international experience in Europe and Africa, Desiré is known for blending traditional Rwandan roots with contemporary movements to tell human-centered stories through dance.
Wesley Ruzibiza (Rwanda) is a leading Rwandan dancer and choreographer who served from 2020 to 2025 as Co-Artistic Director of École des Sables in Senegal, the largest choreographic center on the African continent. He teaches internationally and holds regular teaching positions in France and Tanzania. A graduate of École des Sables in traditional and contemporary African dance, he also holds a degree in finance and project management. As a multidisciplinary artist, dancer, choreographer, actor, and director, he has created and staged numerous dance and theater productions in Africa, Europe, and the United States, which have been presented at major national and international cultural events.