Skip to main content

partizipative Installation und Performance

What do we see here? Nothing special. Just a bear sitting in its cage in the middle of the stage, watching the audience while the audience watches him. It's hard to say who decides what happens on stage and in the auditorium - the audience, or the bear? And why, in fact, the bear at all?



"WHY NOT THE BEAR?" is an immersive performance and participatory installation, part thoroughly composed, part improvised, in which the audience takes on the role of zoo visitors while providing improvisational impulses and ideas for the performer.


Weird times create weird heroes, and so the character of the depressed bear, created by physical theater artist and clown Lena Binski, emerged from the various experiences of the pandemic period.


The forced isolation is a test of endurance. Without a doubt, freedom is the most valuable thing a person has. But how do you fill yourself when you are locked up all your life? Does one miss the freedom? Or has one resigned oneself to the situation and does not suffer at all? How does one interact with what is happening outside the cage?

Step closer, find out for yourself!


The idea is nonverbal
Additional information
Lena Binski is an author, director and performer with a focus on physical theater and clowning. She studied at the Berlin School of Pantomime from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, she co-founded the clown duo "Theater Kavardak", with which she toured worldwide until 2012.

One of the clown acts created by Lena was included in the "ZED" program of Cirque Du' Soleil and successfully performed in Tokyo (Japan) in 2008-2011. In 2016-2017 she is busy with the creation of the experimental physical theater performance "Waiting Room". In 2017 and 2023 she can be seen with her solo performances "Die 7 Leben des Fräuleins B." and "Why Not The Bear #theCage" at the Berlin Performing Arts Festival.

As a freelance theater maker, Lena continues to be deeply involved in Berlin's independent theater scene. Her focus now as before is non-verbal storytelling, directing and performing, as well as the development and implementation of workshops both in Germany and abroad. www.lena-binski.de
Participating artists
Lena Binski
Otto Richard
Patricio Tonato
Katarzyna Wieczerzak
Dates
January 2025
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31