Catarina oder Von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten - Premiere; Stückeinführung 19:30 Uhr
Catarina oder von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten
Tiago Rodrigues
Translated by Niki Graça
Premiere: October 17, 2026
In this Portuguese family, there is a summer tradition: Every year on the anniversary of the murder of the land worker Catarina Eufémia on May 19, 1954, by henchmen of the Salazar dictatorship, a fascist is killed. The family gathering begins with eating and drinking and ends with the execution of the previously kidnapped delinquent. Here, injustice seems to be avenged. When the daughter refuses to continue the ritual because she no longer believes in the logic of retribution and doubts violence as a legitimate means of defending freedom and democracy, a complex political and ethical conflict begins within the family.
The play raises significant questions that directly touch our societal realities. What is a fascist today, and how do fascist rhetorics work? What does "acting politically" actually mean today? What can a resilient democracy offer when resistance should not turn into violence? May we violate the rules of democracy when searching for different/better ways to defend it? Isn’t the central challenge currently to "learn to fight fascism in a non-fascist way," as Eva von Redecker puts it?
And what contemporary and forward-looking aesthetics of resistance can theater articulate here?
Tiago Rodrigues, born in 1977 in Portugal, is an actor, director, playwright, and producer and since 2022 the director of the renowned Avignon Festival. Over the last 20 years, he has created more than 40 productions in over 25 countries, co-founded the company Mundo Perfeito with Magda Bizarro in 2003, and became the director of the Teatro Nacional D. Maria II in Lisbon in 2015. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the XV. European Prize for Theatrical Realities in 2018, the title "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Republic in 2019, and the Prémio Pessoa, the most prestigious award for art and science in Portugal.
"Catarina e a beleza de matar fascistas" premiered in Portugal in 2020 and has been performed extensively across Europe.
The German-language premiere of "Catarina oder von der Schönheit, Faschisten zu töten" took place on February 14, 2026, directed by Mateja Koleznik at the Schauspielhaus Bochum.
We generally offer a post-discussion to our audience after each performance. For this, we will invite representatives from the Tübinger community as well as external individuals with diverse expertise. In the framework of the post-discussions, the Zimmertheater cooperates with the Institute for Extremism Research at the University of Tübingen. Our special thanks go to Prof. Dr. Léonie de Jonge.
Cast
Marco: Paul Smollich
Rui: Udo Rau
Isabel: Christina Weiser
Sara: Sophie Maria Scherrieble
Antonio: Thomas Bockelmann
Romeu: Malte Flierenbaum
Director: Tobias Schilling
Set design: Birgit Angele
Dramaturgy: Dr. Stefan Tigges
Technology: Mike Michelius, Alexander Schwab
Publisher: Henschel Schauspiel
Post-discussions Catarina
Saturday, October 24:
Dr. Martin Ulmer, History Workshop Tübingen, Jessica Reichert (Young History Workshop Tübingen) and a representative of Young Guides Tübingen
Friday, October 30:
Dr. Christopher Gohl and Dr. Bernd Villhauer
Saturday, October 31:
Mechthild von Luxburg with four other grandmothers against the right
Thursday, November 5:
Prof. Dr. em. Monika Meister and Prof. Dr. em. Klemens Gruber, Theater, Film and Media Studies, University of Vienna
Friday, November 6:
Prof. Dr. Léonie de Jonge, Professor of Extremism Research, Institute for Extremism Research, University of Tübingen
Friday, November 13:
Dr. Sabine Volk, associated researcher at the Institute for Extremism Research, University of Tübingen
Thursday, November 19:
Prof. Dr. Annett Heft, Professor of Extremism Research with a focus on Media and Publics at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Tübingen, Dr. Kilian Bühling, Research Associate, Mareike Stürenburg, Research Associate, Institute for Extremism Research, University of Tübingen
Friday, November 20:
Prof. Dr. Tanja Thomas, Chair of Transformations of Media Culture, Media Studies, University of Tübingen
Saturday, November 21:
Prof. Dr. Barbara Stauber, Professor of Education Sciences with a focus on Social Education, Institute for Educational Science, University of Tübingen
Thursday, November 26:
Prof. Dr. Markus Rieger-Ladich, teaches general educational science and engages in the Institute for Extremism Research, University of Tübingen
Friday, November 27:
To be announced
Thursday, December 17:
Dr. Christopher Gohl, Dr. Bernd Villhauer, World-Ethos Institute Tübingen
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
