Ligia Lewis

Sorrow Swag

  • Performance
  • Dance
English /  60 min.
[Translate to EN:]

“Sorrow Swag” is the first part of Ligia Lewis’ trilogy “BLUE, RED, WHITE”– a triptych that deals with affect and embodiment, as well as race and representation.

The performance takes place in an immersive visual and auditory space drenched in deep blue. Using texts and images derived from mid 20th-century classical theater to interrogate race, authorship, gender, and grief, “Sorrow Swag” produces an imaginative reformulation. Thinking through the blues, this work disrupts the canonical by means of a radical othering. For this work, Lewis developed a choreographic practice that incorporates Stanislavski’s acting techniques and the practice of authentic movement to attain an intense state of embodiment. With musical accompaniment by Twin Shadow, she and the performer create a meticulously crafted hybrid body in a state of flux. While Samuel Beckett’s “Not I” and Jean Anouilh’s “Antigone” serve as the backbone to this work, the piece shifts from a state of flux to an “unrelenting scream,” – what Billie Whitelaw, the first literal mouth of “Not I” described as the core of her performance. Through this unstable figure the theater is transformed.

Ligia Lewis was awarded the Prix Jardin d’ Europe by Impulstanz (2015) for “Sorrow Swag”.

Cast

Concept, choreography & direction: Ligia Lewis / Original Performance: Brian Getnick / Performance: Martin Hansen / Musical arrangement: George Lewis Jr. (of Twin Shadow) / Lighting: Joseph Wegmann / Sound (Touring): Bär Kittelmann / Administration (Tour): Julia Leonhardt / Touring & distribution: Nicole Schuchardt

By viewing the video you agree that your data will be transmitted to and that you have read the privacy policy .

Dates

Past
  • Cancelled
    Wed 15.4.2020, 19:00 / HAU3
  • Cancelled
    Sat 18.4.2020, 16:30 / HAU3
  • Wed 15.11.2023, 19:00 / HAU3
  • Thu 16.11.2023, 19:00 / HAU3

Credits

Production: Ligia Lewis. Funded by: Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa. Residency support: Human Resources Los Angeles, ADA Studio Berlin, Pieter Space (Los Angeles).

[Translate to EN:]

Location

HAU3
Tempelhofer Ufer 10, 10963 Berlin

HAU3 unfortunately is not barrier-free. Access to the theatre is via a stairwell (3rd floor). The use of a lift is possible with prior arrangement. If you need help, please contact our Ticketing & Service team at +49 (0)30 259004-27 or email us at tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de. Wheelchair users are also kindly requested to register their attendance at least one day before the performance.
Thank you for your understanding.

HAU3000 / Positions, Projects, Publications

The Glowing Room

Text by Hendrik Otremba.

An Introduction to “Collectivize Facebook”

By Jonas Staal

“Collectivize Facebook” is a lawsuit aimed to turn Facebook into public property, initiated by artist Jonas Staal and lawyer Jan Fermon. Read here Staal’s introduction to the project.

“Manifestos for Queer Futures”

Video Documentation

As part of the festival “The Present Is Not Enough – Performing Queer Histories and Futures”, HAU initiated an open call for artists based in Berlin, who were invited to submit proposals for their Manifestos for Queer Futures.