Ungirling - a physical theater solo with integrated, creative audio description
"Ungirling" by and with Meret König is a physical theater solo in episodes. The piece is accompanied by the composer Katrin Meier. In addition, a creative, integrated audio description will be co-designed from conception to performance and used as an essential artistic tool. The piece is a series of attempts (episodes) to approach the potentials or facets of one's own girlhood and ungirlhood as a non-binary performer in order to ultimately fan out, indeed celebrate, the prism of one's own queer identity.
Premiere was on 14.03.2024 in the Pina Bausch Theater of the Folkwang UdK.
Relevance
The play not only has an autobiographical urgency, as Meret König deals with aspects of her own (girl) identity that have often triggered feelings of shame or gender dysphoria, but at the same time a universal play about identity is created, which understands gender in particular as a prism, i.e. an interlacing of possibilities. We are thus joining a queer-feminist discourse that has been shaped by philosophers such as Paul B. Preciado and Andrea Long Chu. It is not about pinning down identity to a fixed truth, but on the contrary about creating more scope for self-expression. Therefore, this piece advocates a process of "Ungirling", an unfolding, fanning out of identities, which all take place processually within a person.
Project description
In the autofictional piece "Ungirling", Meret König (non-binary performer) confronts the girls, un-girls, anti-girls that Meret was, was not, did not want to be and yet was, wanted to be but never dared to be.
For example, the horse-girl-tom-boy.
What about that time I anti-girl-ed so hard I ended up toxic boy-ing? What about girl-ing for others, anti-girl-ing out of spite, always out-girl-ing myself?
And then there's this body. Like a house that's haunted. Like a mountain of unbearable softness. Like a truth, seemingly, from which there is no escape. Like a lie that others tell you. It is haunted by the ghosts of girls and un-girls. Cassandra bodies whose pain is not believed. Bodies that feel like open wounds. As a non-binary perfomer, Meret now confronts her own girls, but also the archetypes of girls, asking how the latter have inscribed themselves into the body.
"We are all born naked and the rest is drag". The art form of drag is also part of the piece in order to embody one of the hyperfeminine girls, as a further strategy of theatrical approach. The process of "posing" takes place through embodiment, through transforming and changing back. By performing them, Meret experiences the girlies and perhaps even reconciles with them. The piece is structured as a journey through various characters and moments of body horror and alienation.
In the end, the only thing that remains is that we can not only be one thing, but also so much more.
Integrated, creative audio description
For this project, an integrated audio description, or rather a dramaturgy, was developed that is equally appealing to blind, visually impaired and sighted audiences. On the one hand, it is about increasing accessibility, but also about opening up a new artistic medium. The audio description is conceptually linked to the project and supports the narrative. In this project, for example, this linkage is the theme of attribution / self-description, external perception / internal perception. What new language can be found for these descriptions that does not use old stereotypes? Which self-descriptions are empowering?
The audio description is therefore integrated and creative, which makes it an essential part of the play.
TEAM and cooperation partners
- Meret König (all pronouns): Director and play
Meret König studied physical theater at the Folkwang UdK and describes herself as a mover, actor and physical theater artist. In addition to performing arts, Meret is also active in the visual arts and as an author.
- Katrin Meier (she / her): Composition and musical direction
Katrin Meier studies pop composition at the Folkwang UdK, in her music she searches for tenderness and strength. She is available in this project as a consultant and mentor for soundscapes and music.
- Andrina Imboden (she/they): Dramaturgy
Andrina Imboden works in the Ruhr area as a dramaturge and project manager. After studying gender studies and sociology, Andrina completed a Master's degree in "Contemporary Theater, Dance and
Dramaturgy" in Utrecht. Andrina has worked at the Pina Bausch Center in Wuppertal and at PACT Zollverein in Essen.
- Gaia Pellgrini (she/her): Choreography
Gaia Pellegrini studied cognitive psychology at the University of Trento and physical theater at the Folkwang UdK. Gaia was part of the Free Interdisciplinary Performance Lab with Marina Abramović and spent a semester at the Superior Conservatory of Dance in Barcelona to deepen her practice as a choreographer and performer.
- Joe Bauer (they / them): Costume design and documentation
Joe Bauer studies fine arts in Münster and has already designed the costumes for several physical theater productions. They also supports the project as Outside Eye and is making an extensive photo documentation for the follow-up of the project.
For Ungirling, Meret König is also working with an expert to support the creative audio description:
- Sabine Kuxdorf (she/her): Outside Ear and Access Consulting
Sabine Kuxdorf lives and works in Cologne, where she has just completed her studies in sociology. She is blind and has been working for 1.5 years as a consultant in the field of access dramaturgy and participation in theater and dance productions in NRW. She supports this project with her expertise and her perspective.
The project was developed in cooperation with the Sticky Fragments Physical Theatre Company, which accompanied the process as a consultant and contact person. The project was also supported by Mittendrin e.V. in Cologne and the Szene 2 Company in an advisory capacity.
Supported by the Chancengerechte Hochschule fund at the Folkwang UdK.