“Sofie Kramer astounds her audience with hellish physical tricks and beautiful prose.” – Theaterkrant
“The death of a beautiful woman is the most poetic topic in the world” – Edgar Allen Poe
“In A Pole Tragedy I search for female autonomy and sexual self-determination in a male-dominated society. Fascinated by Euripides’ famous tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, about the sacrifice of a young girl’s body in a men’s war, I explore the thin line between violence and the erotic. In a sweaty duet between my body and a sky high pole I dive into my darkest desires, with Iphigenia as my heroic alter ego. Pushing the power dynamics between my body and the pole to extremes, together with composer/sound artist Mári Mákó I built my own interactive dancing pole, which I play with my body like a music instrument. The hard, immobile, shiny piece of steel gets its own voice and is no longer a passive object in a feminist female fantasy. ”
Credits:
Concept, text, direction, performance: Sofie Kramer | Instrument development, sound design: Mári Mákó | Dramaturgy: Doke Pauwels | Audio-technical consultancy and live operation: Anne-Jan Reijn | Costume design: Esther Sloots | Lichtdesign and video: Hendrik Walther | Artistic coaching: Keren Levi | Technician: Leon Vergouw | R Kelly Cover: Sofie Kramer (singer) and Tijl Kramer (producer) | Campaign image: Casper Koster (photography) and Jesse Smits (poster design) | Teaser: Hessel Stuut | Scene photography: Nichon Glerum | Made with support of: Bureau Dégradé, GREENHOUSE/Veem House for Performance, Performing Arts Fund, Amarte, Norma Fund and AFK | Many thanks to: Carl Beukman
