Arad Dabiri

LEBENLIFEHAYAT!

Contemporary drama

A child lies sleeping, silent, at the centre. Around them, a chorus prepares itself for the ritual that is about to take place: The child must be sacrificed; reason must prevail over compassion; the community must be saved through sacrifice. Then the child wakes up. The child speaks, asks questions, accuses: What is the value of a society that believes it needs the brutal exclusion of others in order to survive? Where does this urge to organize our coexistence like an allotment garden come from?

Starting from this archaic situation, Arad Dabiri examines the current state of humanist principles in the world.

Rich in associations, the text takes us through myths such as the Garden of Eden, showing that humanity will only succeed in creating an earthly paradise if we imagine this peaceful place as one that belongs to everyone, without borders. LEBENLIFEHAYAT!

LEBENLIFEHAYAT! is a long poem, a long-overdue outcry in a world that is already burning, but in which the spark of hope has also been lit, where the search for new narratives of the future has already begun: this is a new beginning, a fresh start, a re-start.

The play was selected as part of the “Future Narratives for Planet Earth” Open Call at Hessisches Landestheater Marburg. “Future Narratives for Planet Earth” is a multi-year EU project involving various partner organizations across Europe. The world premiere takes place at Hessisches Landestheater Marburg, and in 2026 the production will also tour to Leuven, Belgium, and Graz, Austria.

LEBENLIFEHAYAT! is performed in German with English surtitles.

For everyone aged 15 and over who is curious about narratives of the future and visions for our world.

Location:

Kleines Tasch

Premiere:

Saturday, 25.04.2026

Direction: Carola Unser-Leichtweiß
Stage & costumes: Stefani Klie
Choreography: Sophia Guttenhöfer
Dramaturgische Betreuung & künstlerische Mitarbeit: Ia Tanskanen
Theatre pedagogy: Mia Scarcello
Direction assistance: Nathalie Glasow
Stage manager: Xenia Strauss
Prompting: Silke Knauff
Hospitanz: Alexa Hellwig

Acting:

Aria – Faris Saleh
Aria – Greta Plenkers
Kind von Welt – Saskia Boden-Dilling
Kind von Welt – Flamur Blakaj
Kind von Welt – Lisa Grosche
Kind von Welt – Bibiana Malay
Kind von Welt – Georg Santner
Kind von Welt – Christian Simon