Forbes StaffIt turned out to be a violent opera that showed blood, gore, and nudity that left members of the audience feeling nauseous.
At Germany’s Stuttgart opera, eighteen members of the audience got nauseous feelings when they experienced a violent opera, all about blood, gore, nudity, and explicit acts. They left the opera needing medical aid after watching the shocking performance that included weird acts like live piercing, unsimulated sexual intercourse, and a mix of fake and real blood.
Stuttgart state opera left the audience shocked by the performance.
The incident occurred over the weekend in Stuttgart state, Germany, during two showings of Sancta, a provocative piece by Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger. A spokesperson for the opera, Sebastian Ebling, reported, “On Saturday, we had eight, and on Sunday, we had ten people who had to be looked after by our visitor service.” In three cases, medical professionals were called to provide treatment.
Florentina Holzinger is known for provocative performances.
Florentina Holzinger, 38, is known for her boundary-pushing performances, merging dance theatre with elements of vaudeville. Her all-female ensemble often performs partially or fully naked. Her previous works have included acts of sword-swallowing, tattooing, and the use of blood and fresh excrement in action paintings. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Holzinger said, “Good technique in dance to me is not just someone who can do a perfect tendu, but also someone who can urinate on cue.” Sancta, her first venture into opera, premiered in May at the Mecklenburg state theatre in Schwerin, which is inspired by Paul Hindemith’s expressionist opera Sancta Susanna, which has a history of controversy surrounding its themes.
Bishops condemned Holzinger’s opera.
After Holzinger presented Sancta in Venice, bishops from Salzburg and Innsbruck condemned it as a “disrespectful caricature of the holy mass.” However, Holzinger clarified that her work aims to explore the relationship between conservative institutions and kink communities and not mock the church.
Audience advisory given by the spokesperson.
Sebastian Ebling, spokesperson for the opera, said potential attendees must read the performance warnings thoroughly, including triggers such as incense, loud noises, explicit sexual acts, and depictions of sexual violence. “If you have questions, speak to the visitor service,” he advised. “And when in doubt during the performance, it might help to avert your gaze.”
Despite the shocking and unsettling incidents reported, all five performances at Stuttgart’s state opera and two shows at Berlin’s Volksbühne in November have sold out.
