Christa | Kassandra – a dialogue based on Christa Wolf

In this energetically intense staging of Christa Wolf’s narrative, Kassandra appears with startling relevance.

She is one of us. She sees a society torn apart from both within and without. She watches as her fellow human beings allow themselves to be ruled by fear and, as prisoners of habit, avoid what is necessary. She

recognizes the fragility of a world that is destroying itself. Yet her warning voice goes unheard.

The Play

The war is over, Troy destroyed, Cassandra a prisoner. She knows she has only a few hours left to live. She does not surrender. She consciously enters her memories. And relives how a world she believed to be secure collapses, certainties dissolve, loved ones disappear or turn against her. She saw this coming. No one should believe her. She herself first had to learn to believe herself, to look—even at herself. In doing so, the

ability to see what is—not as a mythical magical power, but as a conscious decision not to close one’s eyes.

Johanna Malchow embodies Cassandra as a woman who does not predict the future, but confronts us with unrelenting truths. In overcoming her fears and taking an unflinching look at her life, she reveals a sense of powerlessness in the face of her time—with an urgency that resonates with the audience.

The Production

Markus Weber has adapted Christa Wolf’s story into a monologue for a single actress. He juxtaposes the action on stage with film scenes inspired by Christa Wolf’s notes, lectures, and diary entries. In this way, Cassandra enters into a dialogue with the author. This connection between stage and film broadens the perspective and brings Cassandra’s story into our time. The dissolution of Kassandra’s world, but also the liberation that comes with it, are reflected in the

set design, as Kassandra gradually dismantles everything that holds her captive and expands her scope of action. This process of deconstruction resonates in the music by Dominik Wirth, composed specifically for the play.

Timeliness and Relevance

christa|kassandra is more than just a performance; it is a call to reflection. The premiere of the play captivated the audience and left them pensive. The current relevance of Kassandra’s struggle—against the resistance of her own fears, against society’s reluctance, and against the flood of alternative truths—challenges us to confront our own fears and to look at ourselves and our world with unflinching honesty.

christa|kassandra challenges the audience not only intellectually but also touches on collective emotions.

“I trace the story of my fear… No, the story of its liberation. Yes, fear can be liberated. And then it becomes clear that it is connected to everything and everyone who is oppressed.”

Christa Wolf, Kassandra

• Performance dates: May 8 & 10, 8:00 PM
• Venue: Brotfabrik Berlin, Caligariplatz 1, 13086 Berlin
• Admission: 12–18 euros
• Box office opens 30 minutes before the performance begins

Cast

Director: Markus Weber

Actor: Johanna Malchow

Music: Dominik Wirth

The Cast

Johanna Malchow is a freelance actress living in Berlin. Since 2010, she has performed with Theater Anu, one of Germany’s largest outdoor theater companies. In 2013

she co-founded The Metafiction Cabaret and has toured with this circus-punk band from the Theater Distel cabaret to the Fusion festival, to the Schaubudensommer Dresden, and all across the club scene of the

country.

She also appears in various projects on Berlin’s independent scene as well as nationwide with Kompanie Kopfstand. In Berlin, she can mostly be seen at the Schlossplatztheater Köpenick. As a narrator, she can be heard on audio walks and at readings.

Markus Weber has been directing since he founded the ensemble die biografen in 2011. In addition to his long-standing work at the architectural firm sauerbruch hutton, theater has always been a constant in his life. Furthermore, he has recently ventured into the field of Gestalt and theater therapy. He brings together his simultaneous enthusiasm for spaces, people, their stories, and the emotions that arise from their interplay in his productions. His previous directing credits include: “Biography – A Play” by Max Frisch, “The Flies” by Jean-Paul Sartre, “The End of the Rain” by Andrew Bovell, and “Dangerous Liaisons” in his own

adaptation.

Dominik Wirth has been a musician, actor, and voice artist since 2008. He is active both as a producer and a singer and has worked in recent years as a composer for film and theater. In 2023, he produced the music for the short film “The Unseen” (nominated for Best Sound at the Lonely Wolf Film Festival and the Berlin FilmHaus Festival). His releases as a singer range from house music on labels such as Armada, 20/20 Vision, Exploited, and Kallias to various solo releases under his stage name Knixx. In 2025, his EP will be released on the renowned house label Cabinet Records. Dominik has been a singer and DJ for the rappers Mädness and Döll since 2017.

(Language: German)