Theater against Borders: ‘Miunikh–Damaskus’—A Case Study in Solidarity

• Main Authors: Ruba Totah, Krystel Khoury
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
• Series: Arts
• Subjects: third space; solidarity; postmigrant theater; representation; improvisation; translation; refugee crisis; cultural policies; relational dynamics; creative process
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/7/4/90

In 2017, the City Theater of Munich engaged with a policy of diversity, and decided to include Syrian artists and create the Open Border Ensemble. A German and Syrian refugee and non-refugee cast produced the first performance, “Miunikh⁻Damaskus: Stories of one city„ (May 2018). This mobile play aimed at minimizing stereotypes and deconstructing essentialist cultural identity prejudices. The paper examines how, in this case study, multilayered artistic strategies and relational dynamics came together to implement a ‘third space’. It addresses the challenges and implications of such theater endeavors regarding solidarity and the representation of the figure of the artists within the realm of the migration and refugee discourse.