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Hellcat

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Play
Written / Directed / Performed by Shade Théret and Magdalena Mitterhofer

PREMIERE 
5. - 6. May 2023
co-produced by Rakete Festival Vienna
Tanzquartier Wien 

also shown at:
Pogo Bar,
KW Institute for contemporary art Berlin, 13.07.23

Sound: Alexander Iezzi
Stage Design: Joseph Bourgois
Video Vienna: Jonathan Hörnig
Photo Vienna: Joseph Bourgois
H+M: Sophia Mittherhofer, Hannah Brugger
Photo + Video (Berlin) : Emma Dudlyke
Poster: Rob Kulisek

Curatorial Vienna: Lewon Heublein
Curatorial Berlin: Léon Kruijswijk
Curatorial Assistence Berlin:  Nikolas Brummer

Warped and forced inward, rage implodes into expressions of frustration, obsession, or psychosis.
In their collaboration titled "Hellcat," Shade Théret and Magdalena Mitterhofer delve into the implosions of female rage, exploring moments of uncontrolled expression and potential outbursts.

The script draws from literary sources that address mental illness and mother-daughter relationships, as well as perspectives on love and sexuality across various social strata. Initially positioned as antitheses on stage—the domestic versus the public—Mitterhofer appears relaxed within a house-like structure, laughing manically. Meanwhile, Théret, adorned in a red silky dress with glitter accents, moves deliberately on an elevated platform, audibly controlling her breath.

As the choreography unfolds, a dialectical interplay ensues for ambiguous reasons, exploring origins of destruction, hysteria, violence, and intimate resistance. Théret and Mitterhofer ultimately navigate the shifting dynamics among female subjects within broader societal frameworks.

(Léon Kruijswijk)

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