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The highly civilized apes swung gracefully from bough to bough; the Neanderthaler was uncouth and bound to the earth. The apes, saturated and peaceful, lived in sophisticated playfulness, or caught fleas in philosophic contemplation; the Neanderthaler trampled gloomily through the world, banging with their clubs. The apes looked down on him amusedly from their tree tops and threw nuts at him. Sometimes horror seized them: they ate fruits and tender plants with delicate refinement; the Neanderthaler devoured raw meat, he slaughtered animals and his fellows. He cut down trees which had always stood, moved rocks from their time-hallowed place, transgressed against every law and tradition of the jungle. He was uncouth, cruel, without animal dignity – from the point of view of the highly cultivated apes, a barbaric relapse of history. The last surviving chimpanzees still turn up their noses at the sight of a human being. (Arthur Koestler).

The silence of the animals is a critique of the idea of progress, a critique that unmasks the idea of human beings as natural good rational animals, attacks the liberal belief that says we want beyond everything to be free, accuses the ideals of humanism is not more than a myth, and finally exposes and criticizes the belief that human beings are not more than an incurable disease. This piece can have a similar appearance to strolling through a waste land, but this impression only depend on the story that everyone has had or how blind you want to be. In any case, being guided through this descent into hell of reality can only be profitable. But yes, first it will take a good dosage of courage and honesty.

premiere Januar 2016. Maschinenhaus, Essen

Choreography William Sánchez H.

Dancers Anne-Hélène Kotoujansky
Jonas Onny
Linda Pilar Brodhag
Lola Villegas Fragoso
Tim Cecatka

Actress Sara Hazebrouck

Stage Mercè Mayor i Sabater

Music Elements of Tomorrow
Florian Boos – Sax / Comp
Tim Bücher – Guit / Comp
Moritz Götzen – Bass
Karl F. Degenhardt – Drums

Research TSOA with: Yves Ytier Miranda
Roshanak Morrowatian
Fuuko Shimazaki