Conference of the Absent

By Haug / Kaegi / Wetzel

There is a crisis! And in times of global crisis, it's all about global cooperation. Nevertheless, this time the crisis is being dealt with locally - on behalf of the world: at a conference that no one needs to book a flight or mount a train for. A performance to which the invited experts and speakers do not appear physically, but are represented by local people who only receive their script at the beginning of their presentation. In CONFERENCE OF THE ABSENT, the audience observes people from their own city as they take on the identity of an absent conference speaker.

Completely without CO2-emissions and bad Skype or Zoom connections, but with all the performative means of the theater, the contributions and contradicting theses on the consequences of globalization will be delivered into the theater space - and settle them within it.

The advantage of not being there - not having to be everywhere at all - becomes a joint play that can be experienced anew every evening. At the center of this game are people who become carriers of ideas and playfully acquire both biographies of experts as well as their thoughts. In this way, absence becomes an added value because it creates space for new enrollments and unexpected perspectives. Ghostwriters and speechwriters, co-authors and directors at the same time, Rimini Protokoll turns documentary co-authorship into remote directing.

Concept / Text / Direction: Helgard Haug, Stefan Kaegi, Daniel Wetzel

Video- and Light design: Marc Jungreithmeier

Sound design: Daniel Dorsch
Research / Dramaturgy: Imanuel Schipper, Lüder Pit Wilcke
with the voice of: Nadja Stübiger
and thee prompting voices of: Henriette Hölzel, David Kosel, Hans-Werner Leupelt und Karina Plachetka
Cooperation political-cultural education: Dr. Werner Friedrichs

Production Management: Epona Hamdan

Production Management touring: Vera Nau, Monica Ferrari

Dramaturgy Assistance: Sebastian Klauke

Directing Assistance: Lisa Homburger and Maximilian Pellert
Stage Assistance: Maksim Chernykh

Production Assistance: Federico Schwindt

Technical Director Touring: Joscha Eckert, Bodo Gottschalk, Marc Jungreithmeier

Sound Operator Touring: Aaron Ghantus, Fabian Tombers

A production of Rimini Apparat

In co-production with Staatsschauspiel Dresden, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin) and Goethe-Institut.

The concept creation was funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Belgrade (Serbia)

Serbian anchorvoice: Jelena Ilić

Serbian in ear voices: Jelena Ilić, Damjan Kecojević

Assistant director and production assistance: Ana Popovic

Brussels (Belgium)

French anchorvoice: Brigitte Cuvelier

French in ear voices: Lina Majdalanie, Stéphane Hugel

English anchorvoice: Mmakgosi Kgabi

English in ear voices: Joschua Lerner, Melissa Holroyd

Dutch anchorvoice: Annemie Tweepenninckx

Dutch in ear voices: Joris Vergeyle, Renée Vervaet

Assistant director and production assistance: Nelson Pol Fliet

Lisbon (Portugal)

Portuguese anchorvoice: Maria Ana Freitas

Portuguese in ear voices: Marco Paiva, Nádia Yracema

Assistant director: Franzisco Frazão

Production assistance: José Madeira

Luxembourg

Assistant directors: Mahlia Theismann, Béatrice Paquet

Production assistance: Antonia Kohler

Madrid (Spain)

Spanish anchorvoice: Natalia Menéndez

Spanish in ear voices: Rubén Cano, Pilar Valenciano

Assistant director: Marlene Michaelis

Production assistance: Alicia Cabrera Díaz

Rome (Italy)

Italian anchorvoice: Lisa Lippi Pagliai
Italian in ear voices: Daniele Natali, Evelina Rosselli

Assistant director: Maura Teofili

Production assistance: Stefania Logiudice

Venice (Italy)

Italian anchorvoice: Lisa Lippi Pagliai
Italian in ear voices: Daniele Natali, Evelina Rosselli

Assistant director: Andrea Noce

Production assistance: Davide Giacometti

Prag (Czech Republic)

Czech anchorvoice: Kateřina Císařová
Czech in ear voices: Barbora Bočková, Václav Vašák

Assistant director and production assistance: Emil Rothermel

Santiago de Chile (Chile)

Spanish anchorvoice: Daniela Navarrete

Spanish in ear voices: Daniela Baeza Jofré, Esteban Alarcón

Assistant director: Carolina Pinto

Paris (France)

French anchorvoice: Brigitte Cuvelier

French in ear voices: Lina Majdalanie, Stéphane Hugel

Assistant director: Christèle Ortu

Production assistance: Linus Gratte

Mexiko-City (Mexiko)

Spanish anchorvoice: Daniela Navarrete

Spanish in ear voices: Daniela Baeza Jofré, Esteban Alarcón

Assistant director: Karla Sánchez

Production assistance: Fausto Castaño

Seoul (South Korea)

Korean anchorvoice: Yeonhee Cho

Korean in ear voices: Unchul Baek, Ranhee Baek

Assistant director: Gyohee Baek

Production assistance: Seoul Performing Arts Festival

Berlin (Germany)

German anchorvoice: Nadja Stübiger

German in ear voices: Henriette Hölzel, David Kosel, Hans-Werner Leupelt and Karina Plachetka

English anchorvoice: Mmakgosi Kgabi

English in ear voices: Joschua Lerner, Melissa Holroyd

Assistant director: Linn Günther

Stage Design Collaboration: Gabi Bartels

Udine (Italy)

Italian anchorvoice: Lisa Lippi Pagliai
Italian in ear voices: Daniele Natali, Evelina Rosselli

Assistant director: Rita Maffei

Production assistance: Sonia Brigandì

Istanbul (Turkey)

Turkish anchorvoice: Ayşe Draz

Turkish in ear voices: Hakan Emre Ünal, Nezaket Erden

Assistant director & production assistance: Melis Balaban

Hamburg (Germany)

Performance management: Stefanje Meyer
Collaboration stage design: Moritz Harms

Innsbruck (Austria)
Stage direction: Edith Hamberger
Collaboration stage direction: Dominique Dobler
Production management & dramaturgy: Elisabeth Schack
Dramaturgical assistant: Johanna Wildling
Technical production management: Franziska Goller
Stage manager: Andreas Huber
Video: Dominik Pfeiffer
Lighting: Michael Reinisch & Sebastian Koppelstätter
Sound: Marco Divan, Andreas Lamprecht & Lukas Tanzer
Sound engineering (Ableton): Sebastian Fuchs
Assistant set designer: Josef Grill
Stage management: Axel Gade & Elena Ledochowski