besitznichtbesitz1
A theatre performance between poor and rich.

The idea for besitznichtbesitz was developed by Heike Scharpff on the occasion of the call for projects, "Spiel unter Druck" (Play under Pressure), issued by the TAT Frankfurt in its last season, whereby the TAT was looking for projects on the subject “Social Choreographie”. besitznichtbesitz was selected and two performances were staged at the end of May 2004 at the Bockenheimer Depot, whereby those involved in the theatre co-operated with the daily meeting point for homeless people "Weser5".

The model of success and achievement which dominate our performance society turns the socially weak into someone who breaks the norm. The observer who only registers the „loser“ or „loiterer“ rarely questions his (or her) own categories, even though these contain a number of contradictions. The fact that some tax dodgers cost the general public more than most welfare recipients does not entail a comparable social stigma for the defrauder. Moreover, the hostility against the socially weak is often based on the fiction of full-time employment, a fiction that ignores the prevailing reality of the job market. In everyday life, it is expressed in the slogan: “Who wants to work finds a job”. Like any other minority, the socially weak appear – when seen through the glasses of prejudice – as a uniform mass. Individual differences on the way to poverty are faded out. besitznichtbesitz wants to give the individual his face back.

The aim of the project was to form a group with the homeless, or rather, the poor as well as the wealthy, who would relate their personal stories regarding “possession” and “non-possession” in a thoroughly materialistic society within the framework of a performance. The central questions were: what are the realities of life of people who possess and people who do not possess? What freedom does possession offer, what freedom does non-possession offer? How self-determined is the life of a person who does not possess? How strong is the identification with one’s own life reality? Are there chances to break out? What kind of life dreams have existed or still exist?

During the course of four weeks, three temporarily homeless people and four social welfare recipients regularly participated in rehearsals and performances. However, no financially independent, that is, actually wealthy people who would have been willing to participate in rehearsals and performances with homeless people were found. Instead, three people participated in the project who were well-off and firmly situated in the job market and consumer society. The rehearsals developed into a performance with a strongly theatrical form, in which the participants related fragments of their own life story. The performers were supported by a professional actor and two musicians. There were two sold-out performances (300 spectators) and in both the public reacted enthusiastically to the authenticity of the actors.

Actors besitznichtbesitz1:
Andreas, Bonsai, Franky, Gala, Gina, Jimy, Marco, Margit, Micha, Michelle & Matthias Scheuring as the „lucky fairy“.
Music: Ina Kleine-Wiskott, Martin Lejeune.
Stage direction: Heike Scharpff
Equipment: Stephan Rinke.
Assistants to the director: Steffen Schmidt; Dramaturgy: Regine Eckel.