Madalena Berlin in Amsterdam during our European Nein Heißt Nein tour, 2017
We all hate the patriarchy, some more than others. These women hate it so much, they make theater to fight it.
The Madalenas are: international, intersectional, anti-racist, anti-patriarchal, pro-collective, pro-solidarity.
Madalena Berlin
Feminist Theater of the Oppressed
Under the artistic direction of Bárbara Santos
Ma(g)dalenas are an international network of women* practicing theater of the oppressed to overcome patriarchal oppression. The network was founded in 2011 in Argentina and has grown through collective aesthetic research, exchange and collaboration ever since.
I have been a member of the group since 2015. Through Madalenas I have learned innumerable lessons in solidarity, horizontal structures, working in a collective, as well as festival coordination, event booking and management, and the production of forum theater plays.
If you are interested in booking the Madalenas for a performance, e-mail: madalenasberlin@gmail.com
Forum Theater Pieces
Noises of Silence, an international collaboration between Madalenas from Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia concerns itself with patriarchal traps in which feminists find themselves. The play begins with the metaphor of a foot race, men versus women: the track for women is filled with obstacles, whereas the men have a paved road. When a woman manages (despite all odds!) to rise to the top, how does she manage to maintain her individuality when she is deemed a “super feminista” and seen as an idol by a group of adoring followers? What to do, when a feminist finds herself in an emotionally abusive relationship - who will break the silence? How can feminist networks be more vigilant to provide safe networks for their members?
https://kuringa.de/en/noises-of-silence-2021/
Las Gafas Rosadas / The rose-colored glasses / Die Rosarote Brille: is about the many-pronged discrimination women face at the workplace and at home, the difficulty of finding solidarity amongst women, and the inheritance of patriarchal hegemonic norms from ancestors. What steps can we take to ensure a girl isn’t forced to see the world through rose-colored glasses?
No es No / Nein Heißt Nein / No Means No was inspired by the legislative change in Germany brought on by the Istanbul Convention of 2011 (Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence), Nein Heißt Nein is a piece about a woman’s no and the lack of credibility and sincerity given to it. Through various scenes the lack of value for a woman’s no is repeatedly shown - whether by friends trying to convince a woman to go out, by a school teacher who teaches girls how to sing “no, please” or a predator at a party. Nein Heißt Nein was a piece of legislative theater, performed together with city council members, politicians, lawyers (such as Christina Clemm) and activists in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Poland, and Uruguay.
The Pink Machine, our newest play, is about the hyper-genderization of everything from clothing to behavior and life decisions. More products are “pink” now than ever before in history. What is the “pink” choice in life? What other possibilities do we wish for ourselves? We show the negative effects the pressure to be “pink” puts on women, and ask in the forum for the audience to help devise alternatives.
No Means No
Documentary film about our legislative theater process.
Video: Chiara
Madalenas International Feminist Festival 2017
International Feminist Theater of the Oppressed Festival (2017, Berlin)
Ufer Studios, Berlin
In 2017 Madalena-Berlin hosted the second international Ma(g)dalena Festival for Ma(g)dalenas from South America, Europe and Africa. Over 100 women participated as part of the internal program and 1.000+ spectators came to the evening/public programs. We organized and ran the entire festival through volunteer work, without any funding.
Alongside our theatrical programming we performed political protest on the streets of Berlin. We occupied the space by the Brandenburg Gate with the demand: “No means No! My body, my decision.” Demonstrations are a typical part of Madalenas gatherings. It is essential that we spread awareness for our work as well as for the issues of violence against women, consent, and female empowerment.
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
— Audre Lorde
“The theater itself is not revolutionary: it is a rehearsal for the revolution."
— Augusto Boal