Monga
🎬 TRAILER
«Monga» is Brazilian performer Jéssica Teixeira’s unashamed and relentless exploration of body norms. She intertwines her own biography with the story of Julia Pastrana, a Mexican artist who was exhibited and exploited in «freak shows» in the 19th century. In the sparkle of the disco ball, Teixeira asks where the fear of the other comes from – and, above all, where it can lead. With songs, performance art, and a good dose of cachaça, she fights against this fear and invites the audience to reflect on their own position: «I'll tell you right away: I don't trust people who can hide their fears –or those who act as if everything is perfectly fine. But hey, I even have friends like that. You know the type. So, consider this your invitation! Come along –you'll be very welcome. We have cachaça. On the house.»
Jéssica Teixeira is an actress, director, playwright, and producer with a degree in Theatre and a Master of Arts from the Federal University of Ceará. Currently, she uses her body as the raw material for her research, which resulted in two theatrical solos, «A.L.S.O» (2019) and «Monga» (2024). In the audiovisual field, she starred in the feature film «Acsexybility» (2023) and series «The Others» (2023).
On 17.5 at 14:00 an Artist Talk with Jéssica Teixeira together with Anacarsis Ramos will take place at the Festival Centre. The talk will be broadcast live on Radio RaBe.
Easy Read
Jéssica has a body that stands out. Some people are afraid of her because it's different. Jéssica talks about this experience and the experiences of other women like her.
Surtitles
The Portuguese spoken text is surtitled in German and English. The surtitles do not contain additional information about sounds and music.
Sign Language Interpretation
Both performances will be translated into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS). Places with good visibility to the interpreters are marked.
Interpreter: Vera Winkelman
Deaf Interpreter: Kristina Jankovic
Here you will find an explanatory video in DSGS for the event.
For people with mobility disabilities
The Dampfzentrale is wheelchair accessible. Stairlifts are available to the foyer, the hall Kesselhaus, and the toilets. An Access Friend will be happy to assist you with the lifts, or you can use the Eurokey. The theatre has an accessible toilet.
Content Notes
The production addresses ableism, structural sexism, and colonial racism.
This production contains nudity.
This production features some audience interaction, though participation is entirely optional.
Sensory Triggers
Loud noises and sounds
Shouting
Flashing lights
Strobe lights
Moments of darkness
Blackout
Stage smoke
Social Story
Social stories are used as a tool to prepare people for a public event, such as a theatre 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 «MONGA» social story here.
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 Dampfzentrale, Access Friends welcome audiences and are available before, during, and after performances. These people can be identified by their purple vests. Questions about accessibility can be directed to the Access Friends.
- Director, playwright and actress
- Jéssica Teixeira
- Art direction
- Chico Henrique
- Music direction and guitar
- Luma
- Technical direction and lighting design
- Jimmy Wong
- Body preperation
- Castilho Juliano Mendes
- Video and photography
- Ciça Lucchesi
- Stage manager
- Aristides Oliver
- Translation
- Fernando Pivotto, Katja Roloff
- Operator
- Rodrigo Fidelis
- Production
- Rodrigo Fidelis - Corpo Rastreado
- International distribution
- Corpo a Fora and Farofa