Bock (UA)

An evening about images and counter-images of male sexuality.

Between rituals of masculinity and doubts, pressure of potency and loss of control, assaults and tenderness, being a man in the twilight of patriarchy is anything but a clear-cut matter. What images of masculinity and sex shape us - from childhood to old age? 

Along Katja Lewina's conversations with a variety of men, the evening meanders through the potential questions of an entire man's life - and beyond! - and brings up the often hidden issues: Where does sexuality begin? How much hair is too much and where is too little? Doesn't it depend on the size? How does the body armor get its final shape? Is it okay to be afraid of sex and is sex a natural desire? Are we too old for sex and love at some point? How can we meet each other? And how do we touch?

In miniatures, fragments, thoughts, conversations, longings and confessions, a polyphony of images of men and bodies emerges that gives us time to laugh, think, doubt and hope together. And, of course, there's also time for a Wegbier - for the journey into the twilight. Or simply to the Baltic Sea.

With quotations from Judd Apatow & Steve Carell, Tobias Ginsburg, bell hooks, Liv Strömquist, Mitchell Tapper and excerpts from texts by Paul B. Preciado (‘Corps en mouvement’) and Thomas Köck (‘histoires de viande/ histoires du monde’). 

Glossy Pain is a multilingual theatre collective from Berlin that works with international artists on feminist, anti-capitalist and anti-racist themes.

On Sun, 25.08. and Sun, 08.09. following the performances, we cordially invite you to a follow-up discussion with sex therapists Stefanie Bohle and Carsten Müller from the Praxis für Sexualität in Duisburg, on Thu, 12.09. with Christine Gathmann and Andreas Müller from ProFamilia Oberhausen. After the performances on 01 & 05 September, we offer the opportunity to talk to the "Bock" team.

Martina Jacobi, Die deutsche Bühne:

“A colorful set and gaudy costumes (Wicke Naujoks) draw our ideal world of openness and open-mindedness with a wink. [...] It's all about sex, about behavior and body images. But how does love work? The production neither wants to nor can solve this mystery. Glossy Pain's “Bock” is very rich in input, challenges the audience, breaks taboos and is a lot of fun at the same time.”

Sarah Heppekausen, nachtkritik:

“Lewina goes through the sexual stages of a man in her book, director Stoll follows her from birth to death and develops individual scenes from this [...]. This roundelay of male desires and worries (“I'm afraid of sex as it's shown in magazines, on posters, in advertising and in the cinema.”) is charmingly brought to the stage by four actors (in addition to cowboy Joshua Zilinske, Marie Schulte-Werning, Leonard Grobien and Klaus Herzog) and laid out with artificial turf by Wicke Naujoks. [...] These are sometimes funny, sometimes bitter, sometimes melancholy images. Never ingratiating.”

Andrea Müller, WAZ:

“In the unerring snapshots and everyday language dialogues, many a male audience member will probably recognize themselves - but also many a woman. The collage of (tragi)comic encounters is interspersed with critical thoughts, for example by Paul B. Preciado, on the body, body perception and body images. Presented as monologues, they lead to a different level of reflection, encouraging reflection and rethinking. And perhaps to talk about what often remains unsaid? [...] There was much applause at the Theater an der Ruhr for this premiere of “Bock”. Understandable: it's a fun evening that makes you want to go for it.”

Dorothea Marcus, Deutschlandfunk Kultur heute:

‘At the Theater an der Ruhr, actor Joshua Zilinski, who jumps from the video screen [...] onto the real stage, shows magnificently how quickly self-image and reality collide, how close even the toughest guy is to the mama's boy in need of love.[...] Director Katharina Stoll from the feminist collective ‘Glossy Pain’ has found colourful and funny images and dialogues. It is also very fitting that Leonard Grobien in a wheelchair is one of the defining characters of the evening. More should also be said about sexuality with disabilities. Communication is the key, according to the cheerful message of the evening.’

Klaus Stübler, Ruhrnachrichten:

‘[A] kind of scenic collage with flowing transitions, thematically so intense and multi-faceted that afterwards you feel you've experienced at least 120 minutes of full theatre. [...] All conversations and discourses are characterised by great sensitivity. Obscenities are avoided. But there was often embarrassed laughter in the audience at the premiere. Talking about sexuality is still not a matter of course.’