Sophiensæle, Berlin’s most daring independent theatre venue, is hosting “MIRA FUCHS (a reprise),” one of its boldest works. This piece by Melanie Jame Wolf—who takes on concept, choreography, video, and text—centers on the artist’s eight years working as a private dancer in one of Melbourne’s largest clubs. Staged again a decade after its 2015 premiere, the work interrogates the contradictions of themes such as body, sexuality, pleasure, performative intimacy, and performance as labor.
The performance is structured as an essay in fragments and is designed for a close audience. Using her own experience as a “mirror,” Wolf invites viewers to critically reflect on their own positions within striptease culture. Ten years is a long time; accordingly, the show incorporates contemporary questions of aging, desire, and nostalgia into the original material. “MIRA FUCHS” is an abstracted memoir that presents the body as a political riddle.
What Else Is On at Sophiensæle in November and December?
Djibril Sall: DJAM LEELII, a Necroromantic (5–9 November): This dance performance, receiving its world premiere, will take place in the Hochzeitssaal (Wedding Hall).
Simone Dede Ayivi & Kompliz*innen: Autsch – Warum geht es mir so dreckig? (31 October – 3 November): A performance revolving around the question “Ugh, why do I feel so awful?” followed by a talk on 31 October.
Markus&Markus Theaterkollektiv: Cast Away – Die Antwort (19–22 November): This world-premiere performance will be staged in the Kantine hall.
LIARS (20–23 November): Featuring Henrike Iglesias, Olivia Hyunsin Kim, and Olympia Bukkakis, among others, this is another major festival premiere.
Queer Family Album: Volume 2 (5–6 December): Katie Lee Dunbar’s project, a performance series exploring queer identity and family.
Flinn Works: Men in Feminism – Vinod, Thomas und U-Mugabo (11–14 December): A dance performance examining men’s perspectives on feminism.
Musiktheaterkollektiv Hauen & Stechen: Ignorance is Bliss (17–20 December): Another premiere from the musical theatre collective.
Sophiensæle continues to pulse with Berlin’s cultural heartbeat this season—not only through theatre but also via workshops and talks (e.g., Melanie Jame Wolf’s workshop on autobiographical performance and a film screening/panel on feminist comedy).
