GenZ Don't Cry

Junge Triennale, Music theatre

18.9.-21.9.2025

Turbinenhalle an der Jahrhunderthalle Bochum

Immersive 3D sound theatre by and about Generation Z.

Challenging are the times in which the teenagers and young adults of Generation Z are starting their independent lives. At the same time, they are confronted with a whole set of prejudices: that they are lazy, demanding, over-sensitive and always on their phones. GenZ Don’t Cry portrays the voices of people born between 1995 and 2010. Their thoughts can be experienced through headphones which also can be used to seal yourself off from the world and its crises.

In GenZ Don't Cry, visions of the future blend with flashbacks to an indistinct past and a virtual reality. Somewhere within this intangible temporality, ten young people encounter Cassandra, an operator in a futuristic planetarium. She runs simulations and makes prophecies, which the ten young people reject and proest against. Is this where the future is being negotiated? A supernova being programmed? What value do visions have, and how close do they actually have to be to reality?

The audience itself plunges into a 3D-soundscape that is created live on stage and performed by young people from the Ruhr region. Through the ears, an immersive sound and theatre experience unfolds for everyone aged 14 and older.

Produced by Ruhrtriennale.

Introduction

Familiarise yourself with the production before the performance. Britta Schünemann, head dramaturge of the Ruhrtriennale, will tell you more about the particularities of this world premiere in her introduction to the play.

Several performers wearing white hoods and protective coverings move through dense fog. Holding flashlights, they shine intense beams of light into the darkness, cutting sharply through the haze. The scene feels tense and searching, almost like a rescue or exploration mission. — GenZ Don't Cry, director: Sounddramaturgien - Kollektiv; Jwanzeen Al-Sello, Luca Sommer, Nicolas Lochthowe (f.l.t.r.) © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Dance-like stage scene in a large hall bathed in green light and laser beams. Several performers wearing white hoods and transparent coverings move dynamically, some throwing or swinging pieces of fabric through the air. The floor is covered with white residue, scattered with chairs, tables, and various objects. — GenZ Don't Cry, directors: Sounddramaturgien - Kollektiv; ; Julian Sonntag, Nicolas Lochthowe (f.l.t.r.) © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

View from the back of the auditorium toward a densely seated audience. All spectators are wearing large headphones, which are part of the performance experience. The stage area in front fades into bright light. — GenZ Don't Cry, director: Sounddramaturgien - Kollektiv © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

A group of performers wearing white head coverings sit at a long table bathed in red light. The dark space and dramatic spotlight from above enhance the mysterious, almost ritualistic atmosphere. — GenZ Don't Cry, Regie: Sounddramaturgien-Kollektiv © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Several performers stand in a dimly lit space, with one person in a blue jumpsuit at the center. The scene feels theatrical and mysterious, emphasized by unusual costumes and subdued lighting. — GenZ Don't Cry, Regie: Sounddramaturgien-Kollektiv, Nicolas Lochthowe, Schlo Meurer, Gin Bali, MIra Fajfer, Luca Sommer (v.l.n.r.) © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Gîn Bali performs passionately at a mixing desk, surrounded by candles and beams of light. In the foreground, shadowy figures of other performers contribute to the mysterious atmosphere. — GenZ Don't Cry, director: Sounddramaturgien - Kollektiv © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Silhouettes of performers move in front of a radiant fan of blue light spreading across the space. The scene feels dynamic and intense, as if marking a climax of the performance. — GenZ Don't Cry, Regie: Sounddramaturgien - Kollektiv © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Several performers wearing white head coverings lean intently over a table, deeply engaged in a shared action. The red stage lighting enhances the intense and mysterious atmosphere. — GenZ Don't Cry, Regie: Sounddramaturgien-Kollektiv, Julian Sonntag, Schlo Meurer (v.l.n.r.) © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

The scene depicts a dark performance with people in protective clothing, pierced by intense beams of light. The space feels mysterious and atmospheric, resembling a mix between a laboratory and a ritual. — GenZ Don't Cry, Regie: Sounddramaturgien-Kollektiv © Björn Hickmann, Ruhrtriennale 2025

Cast

3D Sound Concept and Direction
- Sounddramaturgien-Kollektiv (Dominik Breinlinger, Julian Kämper, Felix Kruis)
Author and Dramaturgical Consultant
- Mehdi Moradpour
Co-Director, Stage and Light Design
- Wolfgang Menardi
Composition, Music
- Gîn Bali
Costumes
- Julia Nussbaumer
Acting
- Mira Fajfer
Choir
- Jwanzeen Al-Sello,
- Efrahim Bakir,
- Ikram El Kasmi El Meftah,
- Nicolas Lochthowe,
- Schlo Meurer,
- Flynn Ohland,
- Eva Seli,
- Luca Sommer,
- Julian Sonntag
Assistant Director
- Helena Jackson
Production Manager Ruhrtriennale
- Johanna Freytag
Technical Project Manager Ruhrtriennale
- Frank Böhle
Technician
- Sascha Brandt,
- Carsten Funke,
- Jan Kunz,
- Franzi Luhn,
- Benjamin Reich,
- Andreas Semmler,
- Christoph Stenftenagel,
- Stephanie von Porbeck
Kostümassistenz Ruhrtriennale
- Ines Koehler-Klünenberg
Dressing and Costume Team Ruhrtriennale
- Chantal Baumann,
- Marion Felix-Groll
Hair and Makeup Team Ruhrtriennale
- Pia Norberg,
- Rebecca Rühle