Passage 27

„Play all sides of oneself“ – Romeo and Juliet, provocation and violence „are great for theatre“

The close contact that Juliane has built up to the young people allows her to harness their energy directly for the common theatre work. A good example of this is Zera, a Palestinian girl, who at 12 hadn't been in prison, but already had a police file because of violence. She was often cheeky and always provocative. At school she was always confronted by rejection from her teachers because of this. Juliane brought Zera onto the stage and said: “What you did down there was great. Do it again, but stronger.” Zera was irritated, because she had never experienced this kind of reaction to her rebellious way. This occurred during a self-written version of “Romeo and Juliet”, which the group had updated to current times. At its centre were youth gangs – and in any case, provocation, quarrels and violence are central aspects of this play. Zera had fun, transferring her boundless energy into acting. She wanted to keep acting. This is what enabled Juliane to finally reach out to her and awaken other sides in her. Her energy made her into one of the most talented actresses, with whom Juliane has worked. „She now plays everything!“