History of Violence

In Édouard Louis’ autobiographical novel “History of Violence,” a chance encounter between Édouard and Reda in Paris quickly escalates from flirtation to a night of intimacy. However, the atmosphere shifts dramatically when Reda reveals a gun and robs Édouard, leading to a violent and traumatic experience. Seeking refuge with his sister Clara, Édouard grapples with the aftermath of the assault, revealing deep-seated societal issues of racism, homophobia, and power dynamics. Through diverse perspectives, including reactions from those around him and professionals like police and medical personnel, the novel uncovers the pervasive nature of these social injustices. Thomas Ostermeier collaborates with Édouard Louis to adapt the novel into a German-language theatrical production, offering a poignant exploration of themes such as coming of age, desire, migration, and systemic violence. “History of Violence” serves not only as a personal narrative but also as a penetrating social commentary, shedding light on the complexities of contemporary society.

SCHAUBÜHNE BERLIN
The Schaubühne was founded in 1962 by a group of students in Berlin Kreuzberg. It has been located at the western end of Kurfürstendamm since 1981 when it adopted its current name of the »Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz«.

The Schaubühne’s permanent ensemble of around 30 actors is at the core of its work. The theatre’s repertoire includes titles from the worldwide canon of drama as well as contemporary plays by internationally recognised writers which – with well over 100 world and German premieres during the last 22 years – have been a central part of the theatre’s output. Each season, the Schaubühne premieres around ten new productions. In addition, a repertoire of more than thirty plays can be seen in rotation.

The Schaubühne also presents its productions abroad in around 100 performances each year: both at the major international festivals such as Avignon, the Salzburg Festival, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, the Brandhaarden Festival in Amsterdam and the BITEF Festival in Belgrade, and as guest performances at theatres around the world including in New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Québec, São Paulo, London, Oslo, Ramallah, Melbourne, Ottawa, Taipei, Tel Aviv, New Delhi, Seoul, Rennes, Barcelona, Adelaide, Tokyo, Prague, Sydney, Montréal and Beijing.
Thomas Ostermeier has been a member of the Schaubühne’s artistic leadership since 1999, and in 2009 he became artistic director of the theatre.