‘A good murder, a real murder, a beautiful murder?’

Marie, Louise, Ophelia, Juliet, Desdemona: classical theatre literature is full of female murder victims. Their common cause of death: patriarchal violence. These texts, mostly written by men, centre perpetrators. Following an inner logic of social pressure and emotional despair, their deeds seem inevitable or even romantic. This is a pattern that is still reflected in reporting on gender-based violence today: Violent acts are labelled ‘family tragedies’, ‘jealousy dramas’ or ‘acts of desperation’ instead of calling them by their name: Femicides, murders of women* because of their gender or gender identity.

JES sets out to develop a theatrical counter-narrative. Director Pina Bergemann used to work in play clubs at JES, then made a career as an actress and was most recently seen at the Theaterhaus Jena in the multi-award-winning performance ‘Die Hundekot-Attacke’. After two solo evenings, which she also helped develop, she is now taking on the role of director.