Magda Szpecht
She Stands in the Middle of the Battlefield
- Performance
- Theatre
English /
with German and English surtitles /
Polish /
80 mins.
“One can speak beautifully, sitting in a warm theater hall and create a melodramatic episode that touches on important issues and leads to profound reflections on the universe but if you live out your values in practice, sooner or later you’ll probably become a volunteer – or maybe even a soldier.” (Quote from “She Stands in the Middle of the Battlefield”)
Why would a female Ukrainian theatre maker decide to become a soldier? “She Stands in the Middle of the Battlefield” tells a story of friendship, idealism, commitment and the challenges women face in the military.
Polish director Magda Szpecht accompanies this Ukrainian woman as she returns from exile, takes the military oath and serves as a soldier on the front line. Based on letters, voice messages, group chats, videos and research material, a multi-layered portrait of the everyday life of a female soldier at war emerges.
The solo performance focuses on war from a female perspective: the daily struggle for equality, the confrontation with patriarchal structures and the reality of a growing presence of women in the Ukrainian army. Without heroising, the work shows the concrete, personal experience of war – with its contradictions and ambivalences – and asks what it means not only to represent one’s own values, but to defend them under extreme conditions.
With “She Stands in the Middle of the Battlefield,” Magda Szpecht continues her artistic exploration of the war against Ukraine, which she has been pursuing since 2022. Following the performative lecture “Cyber Elf” (2022), which dealt with Russian disinformation and digital activism against it, and the performance “Spy Girls” (2024), which used online research methods on dating apps to obtain information from Russian soldiers, this project also moves at the intersection of theatre, journalism and investigative practice.
Following the performance on 24 February, there will be a discussion entitled “Ukrainian Women on the Battlefield: Equality in Times of War?” about women and war in Ukraine – with director Magda Szpecht and Ukrainian essayist and translator Kateryna Mishchenko, moderated by journalist Sabine Adler (Deutschlandfunk).
Dates
Current
Notes:
Price: 17–22 €, ermäßigt 9–12 €
25.2., 19:15: Introduction with Gábor Thury (Curator Theatre & Performance)
Credits
Co-production: ÆFEKT, Dramatyczny Theatre Warsaw, BAZAAR Festival. Supported by Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Supported within the framework of the Alliance of International Production Houses by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Supported by: Polish Institute Berlin.
Location
HAU2
Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 BerlinThere are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available. Four relaxed seats are available in the first row of HAU2.
