JUICE
In 1820, the nineteen-year-old Madame Lefort was preparing for her exhibition as an «irresistible attraction». She is described as a «perfect blending» of the sexes. Over the next hundred years, medicine will declare inter* people from a biological phenomenon to an anatomical impossibility. Expert opinion after expert opinion will dissect, analyse and ultimately make the existence of inter* people impossible. One hundred years after Madame Lefort's appearance, the Louvre in Paris draws a spell around a statue entitled The Sleeping Hermaphrodite. The young god - and namesake for inter* persons until the 20th century - had been touched so often in secret that his contours faded.
For «JUICE,» River Roux enters a transparent space. The eyes that are directed at her can rarely decide between desire and disgust, between lust and shame. Surrounded by an audience, she becomes an exhibit, the observer and the desired. Roux uses fragments from medical reports, press reports, court judgements, myths and pop culture to examine the fascination with bodies in the «in-betwee», «JUICE» is a border crossing, as much an exhibition as self-empowerment. In her solo performance, the performer confronts the desire to categorise and searches for an existence beyond the fetish.
River Roux is a performance artist and theatre maker. Her first theatre production, Lola Arias' Happy Nights, was created at Theater Bremen. River Roux studied photography at the University of Brighton in England. From 2021 to 2023, Roux was part of the Berlin Strippers Collective, a queer dance and performance collective that works predominantly in nightlife and performs feminist interventions for cultural institutions. Roux has worked in over ten professions, was a stripper and carpenter, and addresses the connections between work, care, gender and sex in her work.
Following the performance on 8.5 there will be a discussion with the artists at 22:00.
Easy Read
Inter persons are people who have the physical characteristics of men and women. Many people think you have to decide whether a child born this way is male or female. River tells stories of such people and others whose gender confuses some people.
Sign Language Interpretation
The performance on May 8th will be translated into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS). Places with good visibility to the interpreters are marked.
Interpreters: Corinne Stutz, Tanja Joseph
Here you will find an explanatory video in DSGS for the event.
For people with mobility disabilities
The Tojo Theater is wheelchair accessible. There are cobblestones and a few small thresholds on the way to the auditorium. The theater has a barrier-free toilet.
Relaxed Performance
This is a Relaxed Performance.
Freedom of movement and audience noises are explicitly welcome. You are welcome to take breaks at any time, leave the theatre hall, and return when you’re ready.
Alternative seating (seats, cushions, etc.) is available. Beanbags are available in the front row for you to sit on. You can sit, lie down, or change seats during the performance. Babies and children are welcome.
Please note that Relaxed Performances focus on adapting the theatre environment, not the content of the performance. Check the content notes and sensory trigger warnings for further details.
Content notes
This production addresses forced medical interventions and the discrimination of trans and inter* people.
This production deals with topics such as death, sex, and kink.
This production contains nudity.
Sensory Triggers
Loud noises and sounds
Sounds of explosion
Special Check-In
We offer a special check-in option. If for any reason you'd like to avoid the crowded foyer, require a specific seat, assistance due to a mobility impairment, or would like to be picked up at the bus stop, please contact us in advance. A member of our team will accompany you according to your needs. Register: checkin@auawirleben.ch
Access Friend
At the Tojo Theater, Access Friends welcome audiences and are available before, during, and after performances. These people are identified and wear purple vests. Questions about accessibility can be directed to the Access Friends.
Social Story
Social stories are used as a tool to prepare people for a public event, such as a theater performance. Our social stories provide a detailed description of what to expect at the venue and the customs that apply there. You can find the (German) PDF of the «Juice» social story here.
- Direction, Text, Performance
- River Roux
- Stage, Costumes
- Teresa Heiss
- Composition, Sound
- Olive Mondegreen
- Dramaturgy
- Bibiana Mendes, Lili Hering
- Production
- Tobias Frühauf (Tacheles und Tarantismus), Philipp Wolpert (Tacheles und Tarantismus)
A co-production of Theaterschiff Heilbronn, Tacheles and Tarantismus, the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and the Theaterschiff Heilbronn.
The project is made possible by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and project funding from the Landesverband Freie Tanz- und Theaterschaffende Baden-Württemberg (LaFT BW) e.V. LaFT BW e.V. is funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.