NOS VIVIMOS MURIENDO / We die, therefore we live

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Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m. Premiere
Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 25, 6:00 p.m.

In Spanish
Death is perceived, explained, celebrated, and commemorated in very different ways in every culture—with tears, whether flowing freely or held back; with laughter that eases the tension; and with performances that are either awkwardly moving or deeply solemn. In theater, death—and with it, the dead—is always present. But it almost always appears as a consequence of tragic situations, marking the end of a conflict or the beginning of a new one. Only on rare occasions is death itself the central theme.

Colombian artist Iván Ruge has assembled a large team to celebrate death, its figures, its music, and its masks: almost all of them come from the Latin American and Caribbean cultural sphere. Whereas in the European perspective, death is met with silence and grief, in Latin America and the Caribbean it is openly celebrated. The best-known example is the figure of death in the Mexican rituals of “Day of the Dead.” Singing, crying, laughing, dancing, drinking, eating… with a great zest for expression, color, and theatricality, the dead are accompanied on their journey to the next realm.

To achieve the greatest expressive intensity, there are guides who lead the mourners to unsuspected heights of weeping: the “lloronas,” women hired and paid to weep, who have mastered their art. A job that in many societies is nothing more than another way to make a living, often requiring great effort. No less important is the work of the mortician, who confronts death with the purpose of preparing the lifeless body for its final celebration. Professional mourners and morticians. To escape death, they pay homage to it.

In German
⁠Death is perceived, explained, celebrated, and commemorated very differently across cultures. With tears—whether loud or suppressed—with laughter that relieves tension, with performances that are touchingly awkward or rise to great grandeur. In the theater, death and the dead are omnipresent. Yet death is always the result of tragic circumstances; it marks either the end of a conflict or its beginning. Rarely, however, is death itself the subject. The Colombian Iván Ruge has brought together a large team to celebrate death, its forms, its music, and its masks: nearly all of them come from the Latin American and Caribbean cultural sphere. Whereas in the European tradition death is met with silent suffering, in Latin America and the Caribbean it is literally celebrated. The best-known example is probably the figure of death in the Mexican death rites on “Día de los Muertos.” Singing, crying, laughing, dancing, drinking, eating… with a great zest for expression, pomp, and spectacle, the dead are guided into their future realm. To achieve the greatest possible intensity of expression, there are coaches who drive the mourners to unprecedented heights of weeping: the Lloronas, dedicated, paid professional mourners who know their craft. A business that, in many societies, is just another profession for earning money—often hard-earned money. No less so does the craft of thanatopraxy confront death with the determination to prepare the lifeless body for its final ceremony. Professional mourners and thanatopractors. To escape death, they cheer for death.

FEATURING Ámbar Álvarez de la Cruz, Yareli Alejandra Alvarado Macario, Brenda Alaís, Ana Sofía González Esparza, Morín González Mena, Camila Frattari, Hitomi Daniela Hashimoto Teramoto, Karenina Lizama Leirana, Wendy Yeh López, Luisina Núñez, Rosmery Rojas, Rhama, Anna Senda-Pimentel ORCHESTRA Wyatt Boyd, Wara Cárdenas Monsalve, Saray Cárdenas Monsalve, Tilman Fehse, Kevin Lara, Jair Leandro, Juan Pablo Ortiz, Ramón Strange, Luis Tonos COMPOSITION Sebastián Astacio DIRECTOR Iván Ruge & ASSISTANT Krümmel Buehler TEXT Peppa Camila Briones E. MUSICAL DIRECTION Tilman Fehse SET DESIGN Hannah Zickert & ASSISTANT Elisabeth Dimigen
COSTUME DESIGN Cielo Castro & ASSISTANT Joshi Timmer LIGHTING DESIGN Débora Colombo DRAMATURGY Angelika Haußmann, Iván Ruge & Assistant Marie Fuchs
VOCAL COACH Rosmery Rojas VIDEO Morgana de Mello, Andrés Rodríguez M. & Assistant: Manjari Goteti PHOTOGRAPHY: Patrick Sobottka GRAPHIC DESIGN/PUBLIC RELATIONS: Valeria Méndez Moreno PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT: Angelika Haußmann, Georgina Ramírez Castro, Iván Ruge SUPERVISION Dorothea Ratzel, Johannes Blum

+ + + Supported by the Mara & Holger Cassens Foundation and the Dr. E. A. Langner Foundation + + +

TICKETS are available from the Gerdes box office on 040.45 33 26 and at eventim.

Admission: 18 €, reduced: 10 €, students of the HfMT, HAW and HfBK: 5 € (box office only)
(or the solidarity price for 25 € - Si quieres, puedes aportar con un precio solidario 25 €)

Find out more and support our project:
Fundraising campaign Nos Vivimos Muriendo

Dates in the overview
23.10.2025, 19:30 (Premiere)
24.10.2025, 19:30
25.10.2025, 18:00

You can also watch the premiere on 23.10. live via our Youtube channel live on our Youtube channel.