Helgard Haug

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studied at the Institut für Angewandte Theaterwissenschaften (Institute of Applied Theatre Studies) in Giessen, Germany. Since 1996 she has been involved with projects which are on the borderline of theatre, documentation, radio play and the applied arts.

Since 2004 Helgard Haug is artist in residence at Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) Berlin.

Her work until 1998 appeared mainly under the label “Ungunstraum- Alles zu seiner Zeit”, Ungunstraum – Everything at its time, and since 2000 she works together with various artists in different constellations under the umbrella organisation “Rimini Protokoll”. The “Ungunstraum”-series started with discussing people who are alien to theatre productions but, since they are the experts on perspectives on reality they come to serve as suppliers of materials and as actors – they are Ready-Made presenters for the stage.

At the Mousonturm in Frankfurt, she put employees of the Frankfurt Electric Network onto the stage: “Bei wieviel Lux schalten Wurst und Krause das Licht an?”, At how much Lux do Wurst and Krause turn the light on? (Haug/Dross/Wetzel), aswell as four elderly ladies for “Kreuzworträtsel Boxenstopp”, Crossword Pitstop, (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel). Five boys keen on shooting acted for “Shooting Bourbaki”, (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) in Lucerne; this production was awarded the Impulse Preis, Impulse Prize. The production of “Apparat Berlin”, Apparatus Berlin, (Haug/Wetzel) is based on historic tape recordings for the Prater of the Volksbühne Berlin; “Sonde Hannover”, Probe Hannover, (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) puts into scene the city of Hannover as seen through 40 binoculars from the 10th floor; the local weekly market is presented in “Markt der Märkte”, Market of Markets, (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) for the Theater Bonn; five experts speak on stage of middle European ways of death in “Deadline” (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) for the Hamburger Schauspielhaus where the trio was invited to for the 40th theatre meeting. In 2002, Rimini Protokoll copied together with 200 Bonn citizens a whole session of the German Parliament under the title: “Deutschland 2”, Germany 2. “Zeugen! Ein Strafkammerspiel”, Witnesses! A play in the division of criminal matters, (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) presents court specialists for the Hebbel-am-Ufer Theater, Berlin, and for the Schauspiel Hannover. March 2004 saw the opening of the production “Hot Spots” (Haug/Wetzel) in Athens at the Tission Theatre. This project involved experts from the tourist industrie, and after that they collaborated with former employees of the airline Sabena for the production of “Sabenation – go home and follow the news” (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) which was presented at the Kunstenfestival Des Arts in Brussels. “Schwarzenbergplatz” (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel) had its first showing at the Casino of the Wiener Burgtheater in December 2004 with diplomats and actors on stage who gave a presentation of how nations behave when they meet. In “Call Cutta” (Haug/Kaegi/Wetzel), Calcutta and Berlin were brought into direct contact: An Indian call-centre employee leads a theatregoer through the city of Berlin via a telephone dialogue.

Their production, “Wallenstein” (Haug/Wetzel) took place in Mannheim as part of the Mannheimer Schillertage and was invited to Theatertreffen 2006. In 2006 Rimini Protokokoll united specialists on heart transplantation and speedflirting for Blaiberg and sweetheart19 at Schauspielhaus Zürich. Their production „Karl Marx: Das Kapital. Erster Band“ won the Mülheimer Dramatiker Preis 2007. In 2007 they reconstructed the Uraufführung: Besuch der alten Dame (World premiere: The Visit of the Old Lady) in Schauspielhaus Zürich. In november 2007 they receive the FAUST and 2008 Rimini Protokoll will be awarded with the European Theatre Prize in Thessaloniki.

Helgard Haug and Rimini Protokoll have been Artists-in-Residence at HAU, Berlin, since 2003. www.hebbel-am-ufer.de