The Drama Is Present

The Drama is Present series, our ongoing collaboration between the Volksbühne and neighbouring Suhrkamp Verlag, presents author Heinz Helle with his first text written for the theatre, Prisma Bros.

What kind of men have we become? And how to we want to be? The camouflage vests are taken off. Honest, analytic, and poetic, with moments of drama and a good dose of humour, Helle scrolls through scenarios in which white, middle-aged cis-men wrestle with their own concept of masculinity, set against the backdrop of care work, overwhelming demands, fears, fantasies of escape, stereotypes, and global politics. The chorus-like text jumps back and forth between past and present, between skateboarding and growing up, with its language and rhythm growing into a powerful force in search of change and connection.

Heinz Helle is a widely known novelist. Prisma Bros is his first theatre piece. It was invited to the PLAY Festival in Zurich in May 2026, and will see its world-premiere at the Staatstheater Kassel during the 2026-27 season. 

Moderated by Ruth Feindel