PELUSIA: Psycho-Buddha – Sophiensæle | Independent Theater in Berlin

PELUSIA:
Psycho-Buddha

A bare-chested person moves in intense red and blue lighting. One arm is placed behind the head, the other bent in front of the body. The background is dark, and the posture appears tense and focused.
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Psycho-Buddha is a participatory liturgy that hosts the passion and difficulties of coming together, speaking up and advocating for social justice. Through shared songs and the voicing of desires and discomfort, it offers a toolbox of existential conundrums drawn from the artist’s personal history, while paying homage to the facilitation skills of choreographers and political organizers.

The psycho resists purity, leans into emotional complexity and humor, while refusing to tidy up the struggle of being with others. Buddha enters to acknowledge the spiritual labor behind participation: the silent work of learning, listening, accepting feedback, and loving ourselves in our imperfections.

Evening information

Ticket
Ticket

The information on accessibility is still in progress and will be updated as soon as possible. If any questions remain unanswered until then, please feel free to contact the communication department at barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35. Please note that details may change by the day of the event. Therefore, if you find out after you have purchased your ticket that the performance is no longer accessible to you, you can contact us for a ticket return at ticketing@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 45 until 5 business days after the event (Monday through Friday between 10am and 6pm).

Duration

  • Approx. 60 minutes, no intermission

Language

  • The performance is in spoken English.
  • The performance is very text-heavy.

Lighting

  • There are extended periods of darkness.
  • Flickering light is used.
  • Lighting moods change rapidly.

Sound

  • There will be loud sound. Earplugs are available.
  • The performer’s voice is partially amplified using a microphone or a megaphone.

Audience

  • There are various seating options: bean bags and mats on the floor, beer crates with cushions, as well as classic theatre seating (with backrests).
  • 2 bean bag seats available for booking, subject to availability
  • 2 wheelchair spaces available for booking, subject to availability

Interaction

  • The entire audience is invited to participate several times during the performance.
  • There will be collective singing and dancing.
  • Participation is not necessary.

Other

  • Stage fog is used.

Early Boarding

  • There will be an extended admission period. Doors open 15 minutes before the performance begins to ensure a relaxed entry.

Tickets

  • Reservations can be made via the ticket telephone at 030 283 52 66, Monday to Friday from 4pm-6pm
  • Via the online ticket shop
  • At the box office

You can also find more information about accessibility at the house here.

Concept, Choreography, Performance: PELUSIA/Mateo Argerich
Mentoring: SERAFINE1369
Music: PELUSIA
Light design: Emil Göthberg
Sound design: Anton Tkachuk
Costume: @cure.tain
Outside eye: Maria F. Scaroni

A production by PELUSIA in cooperation with HZT Berlin. The 35th Tanztage Berlin is a production of Sophiensæle. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. With the kind support of Tanzfabrik Berlin e.V., Theaterhaus Berlin and HZT Berlin. Media partners: Berlin Art Link, Missy Magazine, Rausgegangen, Siegessäule, taz.

Performer and activist PELUSIA composes music that amplifies political expression and fosters connection. Harmonious and discomforting, their work is informed by their experience choreographing for artists and social movements, such as DW Enteignen, Tuntenhaus Bleibt and the Social Pleasure Center.

  • A bare-chested person holds a megaphone and stands to the side of the room under blue lighting. In the background, seated and standing people and a projected text surface are visible. The atmosphere feels cool and technical.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A barefoot person stands at the center of a space bathed in blue light. Their arms are raised and slightly open. Audience members sit on low platforms around the scene, watching.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A bare-chested person moves through a red-lit space with an audience. The upper body is bent forward, holding an object close to the torso. Audience members sit closely around the performance area.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • In blue light, a person stands at a microphone; in front, a second person appears as a dark silhouette with a raised hand, while more people sit around the edges of the room
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • In warm red-orange light, a shirtless person moves barefoot across the stage floor, head tilted back and hands drawn to the chest; people sit around the space in the dim light.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A bare-chested person sits alone on a low platform under a narrow beam of light. The upper body is upright, with the gaze directed downward. The surrounding space is almost completely dark.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A bare-chested person stands among seated audience members in red light. Their arms are spread wide, and their mouth is open as if speaking or calling out. The space feels dense and theatrical, with red lighting fixtures overhead.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A topless person with long hair stands on a sidewalk at a Berlin intersection, raising one arm in a dance-like gesture. The Gesundbrunnen Center, a subway entrance, and pedestrians appear in the background.
    © Mateo Argerich