Touching upon topics of child poverty and our societal issues of failing to close the widened gap between rich and poor, the play “Wutschweiger”, now screening at the Hans-Otto-Theater Berlin, directly speaks to audiences young and old. The story of the two kids Samy and Ebeneser is being told with such simplicity and poetic nuance, reflecting the harsh reality of being excluded from the world around them. Samy is living in a trailer with her dad after her mother passed away, while Ebeneser and his family are currently slipping from middle class to lower class, forcing them to move to the other side of town. When they cross each others’ path, they find themselves sharing similar feelings of frustration and anger, which then leads them to the mutual decision to express resilience by being silent – “wutschweigen”.<\/p>\n
SLEEK talks to actress Lara Heller who embodies the role of Samy in Wutschweiger about the significance of the play, her own relationship to the theatre and traditional structures that require change.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":106414,"id":106414,"title":"5.Lara Heller","filename":"5.Lara-Heller.jpg","filesize":370821,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/about-resilience-with-wutschweiger-actress-lara-heller\/5-lara-heller\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"5-lara-heller","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":106409,"date":"2023-02-21 09:27:37","modified":"2023-02-21 09:27:37","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1298,"height":1920,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","thumbnail-width":65,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","medium-width":1298,"medium-height":1920,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","medium_large-width":1298,"medium_large-height":1920,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","large-width":1298,"large-height":1920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller-1038x1536.jpg","1536x1536-width":1038,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","2048x2048-width":1298,"2048x2048-height":1920,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":8,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/5.Lara-Heller.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1298,"wpvr_mobile-height":1920}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Image Courtesy of Lara Heller."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"
SLEEK: The word “Wutschweiger” is a combination of the words anger and keeping silent. Why do Samy and Ebeneser see the act of remaining silent as a solution to express something so loud like anger?<\/p>\n
Lara Heller: Both of them just feel like nobody really wants to listen to them despite everyone knowing their situation. The anger the kids feel doesn\u2019t come from a place of hatred, more so the big urge of wanting to be part of something. Remaining silent seems much more effective for them since anger expressed in words often times leads to something unconstructive and filled with emotions you can\u2019t control as a child as you also don\u2019t reach the same level of eloquence as adults do.<\/p>\n
S: As the play also suggests, school and our system carry a huge responsibility in the development of children. What are approaches we as a society can incorporate to spread values of inclusivity?<\/p>\n
LH: The reason that triggered the kids’ act of wutschweigen was that they couldn\u2019t afford to come along on a school trip; an example of a situation that can really shape and affect the personal development later in life. I think the most important thing is to not close your eyes and ignore the issue. Everything is about communication and acknowledging a systematical problem, a lot of people just hope for the tensions to pass by, making it all easier by avoiding uncomfortable situations.<\/p>\n
S: When you think back to your time at school, what was it like for you?<\/p>\n
LH: Looking back, I was often excluded because I didn\u2019t belong to one of the cool kids, I couldn\u2019t be part of friend groups because I was too loud or maybe too cheeky and didn’t want to change just to fit in. All of my life I have always expressed myself very openly, which probably comes from my family being all into acting as we love to discuss everything at the table and it got quite loud at times. \u00a0So I grew up always saying what was on my mind which is also the way I like it to be but it sometimes got me into some trouble.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":106416,"id":106416,"title":"wutschweiger_hp1_447","filename":"wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","filesize":39354,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/about-resilience-with-wutschweiger-actress-lara-heller\/wutschweiger_hp1_447\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"wutschweiger_hp1_447","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":106409,"date":"2023-02-21 09:30:26","modified":"2023-02-21 09:30:26","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":479,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","thumbnail-width":64,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","medium-width":479,"medium-height":720,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","medium_large-width":479,"medium_large-height":720,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","large-width":479,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","1536x1536-width":479,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","2048x2048-width":479,"2048x2048-height":720,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":8,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_447.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":479,"wpvr_mobile-height":720}},{"ID":106410,"id":106410,"title":"wutschweiger_hp1_506","filename":"wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","filesize":42739,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/about-resilience-with-wutschweiger-actress-lara-heller\/wutschweiger_hp1_506\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"wutschweiger_hp1_506","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":106409,"date":"2023-02-21 09:26:54","modified":"2023-02-21 09:26:54","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":479,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","thumbnail-width":64,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","medium-width":479,"medium-height":720,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","medium_large-width":479,"medium_large-height":720,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","large-width":479,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","1536x1536-width":479,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","2048x2048-width":479,"2048x2048-height":720,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":8,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/wutschweiger_hp1_506.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":479,"wpvr_mobile-height":720}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Photography by Thomas M. Jauk. Image Courtesy of Hans-Otto-Theater Berlin."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"
S: Did you then dive into the world of acting to allow yourself to unfold your true personality?<\/p>\n
LH: Since first grade, I have been in the theatre. It\u2019s always been a place where I felt extremely strong and knew that I was good at it, without having the pressure to perform. It was just an intuitive feeling. A big part also plays that I was raised in a theatre family and just kind of grew into it and it was pretty clear that I don\u2019t want to do anything besides acting. I use it as an outlet for my persona to feel like belonging somewhere but I think deep inside it is about longing for being seen and heard, maybe even loved in a way or the feeling of participating in something that causes change.<\/p>\n
S: The theatre institution is still one that faces a lot of harsh criticism today, with scandals about the work environment and payment issues overshadowing the beauty a theatre play holds. Why is the theatre that actually criticises societal issues profiting off of them?<\/p>\n
LH: That raises the question of what meaning the construct of a theatre actually holds, which is a question I focused on during my masters. Bertolt Brecht wrote some papers about engaged thinking, which is the act of controlling and training your own thoughts to make them leave an impact on the world. Essentially, this is what a theatre does, transmitting a mix of thoughts and values to an audience in a unique and only once happening occasion, since the shared experience of the actors and actresses on stage with the crowd always creates a different synergy. Sadly, the theatre is slowly losing its cultural meaning in today\u2019s society if you haven\u2019t grown up in a family like mine and went to plays regularly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n S: How can we prevent the theatre from continuously losing its impact in our world?<\/p>\n LH: It already begins in school where our system should take much more responsibility in exposing children to the theatre since all of the parents don\u2019t necessarily have the time or money to do so. The theatre creates such a beautiful place for encouraging dreams and building up narratives that leave room for thoughts. And with the money aspect, the prices for a theatre play shouldn\u2019t be more expensive than a cinema ticket. For many, the theatre is a special event that only happens once a year, so the content we produce only reaches the same upper-class audience every time and not those it actually targets. Of course, it is also fun to get dressed and ready for the theatre, there should just be a way for both to exist.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":106415,"id":106415,"title":"4.Lara Heller","filename":"4.Lara-Heller.jpg","filesize":952476,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/about-resilience-with-wutschweiger-actress-lara-heller\/4-lara-heller\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"4-lara-heller","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":106409,"date":"2023-02-21 09:28:23","modified":"2023-02-21 09:28:23","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1105,"height":1182,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","thumbnail-width":90,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","medium-width":1105,"medium-height":1182,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","medium_large-width":1105,"medium_large-height":1182,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","large-width":1105,"large-height":1182,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","1536x1536-width":1105,"1536x1536-height":1182,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","2048x2048-width":1105,"2048x2048-height":1182,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":11,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/4.Lara-Heller.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1105,"wpvr_mobile-height":1182}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Image Courtesy of Lara Heller."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":" S: And what about the payments as an actor or actress?<\/p>\n LH: People with my degree are all receiving different payments, there are no regulations as to how much a theatre should pay you. In other jobs, you are getting paid by experience which should be the same here. There is a lack of exchange between the government and cultural funds but it is much needed for the theatre to be integrated more into the system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n S: So why is it so hard to do so?<\/p>\n LH: When people are in power, they will do anything not to lose that. Everything is happening again because the structures don\u2019t seem to change, it is insane if you look at the history of theatre\u00a0 <\/span>that many power constellations as they exist today are rooted in the Medieval age. Thankfully, some things have been happening in the last couple of years through collectives and organisations but I don\u2019t think we have reached a paradigm shift yet though we are moving on the right path.<\/p>\n S: Regarding everything the theatre stands for, why are you still taking part in it?<\/p>\n LH: Honestly, I have been asking myself this question a lot of times. It is an important question to ask because I realised when I was in permanent employment at the theatre that it completely cancels you out from your social life with rehearsals spread throughout the whole day. Where can you draw inspiration from if you can\u2019t even take part in life? So I am freelancing now, building my career also in film and tv in an attempt to connect all of the mediums. Trying out new things while I also get the chance to explore my own possibilities as an artist is just not given in permanent employment though financially it is a more secure path and there is definitely a sense of finding family at an ensemble. On the other hand, you are not as free to unfold yourself as an artist and for me, the job consists of much more than following one direction. If there is a way of chasing an artistic vision together I surely won’t refuse permanent employment. The theatre is still the place I love and want to stay at, it is all so worth it for the moments on stage, when you feel that you are evoking emotions in others and working together with your peers to chase a vision. That is truly what makes me feel alive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"}]},"yoast_head":"\n