D · Naked audience in Theaterhaus Jena [21 February 2020]

NOWINKA – Girl in front of floral wallpaper | 1

On Saturday, 15 February 2020, Theaterhaus Jena provided the opportunity to its audience, to attend that day’s performance of the play “Nackt” [en: “Naked” resp. “Nude”] naturally, i.e. without clothes. They had announced in the theatre's programme, to reserve chair rows for them as “FKK Bereich” [en: “Naturist area”].

50 naturists from Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland participated in the nude.

Some of them took the visit to the theatre as an occasion, to visit the city of Jena. With some friends, I participated in a guided tour.

Indeed, the city of Jena is full of nude art – partly for a limited period in shop windows, partly as decoration of house façades.

Also, Theaterhaus Jena comments current politcal situation with “THÜRINGEN – EIN PROBLEM” [en: “THURINGIA – A PROBLEM”].

Theaterhaus Jena – “FKK-Bereich”| 9

“Six people are on stage. Six people with six bodies, whose mission it is, to become visible as such. […] Today, we offer a special audience zone to naturists!”

At night in the Theaterhaus, those, who liked to be nude, had the opportunity to drop their clothes in a separated room. Before the performance began, unclothed and clothed visitors met in the lobby and had some colourful conversations and discussions about being nude and about art.

The undressed spectators were the first to be allowed access to the hall. Before the performance started, an employee of the theatre took a picture of those nude spectators, for whom being in pictures was not a problem. After this photo session, those spectators, who had not laid off their clothes, were allowed to seek their chairs.

Five actresses, among them the play’s director Lizzy Timmers, and one actor, acted, stood, walked, jumped, and ran on stage – depending on the topic of the scene – sometimes clothed, sometimes half-clothed, and often totally unclothed. Between the various scenes, the cast gave short explanations of the social and historic contexts and backgrounds. Looks, posture, and language emphasised the played emotions – e.g. in a scene, in which two women only waring walking boots interrupted their nude hike for a rest, while a couple of clothed hikers encountered them. The range of their presented emotions and reactions was impressive.

It was an exciting and entertaining evening, which addressed a variety of different aspects of nudity. The two hours of the performance flew by.

Afterwards, theatre-goers could discuss their impressions with the actors and other visitors in the nearby Theatercafé next to Theaterhaus Jena.

Theaterhaus Jena – scene from the play | 10