LENZ
Maker
LENZ is an interdisciplinary theatre cooperative made up of stage actor and writer Marit Hooijschuur (the Netherlands; she/her), director and designer Erasmus Mackenna (Scotland; they/their) and writer and dramaturg Roel Pronk (the Netherlands; he/his). LENZ is based in Amsterdam and works in the Netherlands and Scotland. Alongside its productions with Frascati Producties, LENZ also produces independent work, both for theatres and on location.
Biography
The members of LENZ met at the Academy of Theatre and Dance, where they collaborated on the graduation productions Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland (2021) and JUNK (2021). In 2021, Erasmus created the production Schede en Mes with Frascati Producties as part of Beginnings, followed by LENZ (2022), both in close cooperation with Marit and Roel.
Convinced that the human race in its current state will become extinct in the near future, LENZ tells small-scale human stories that exposes the nihilistic hopelessness of this realisation and, through radical empathy and catharsis, investigates alternative futures. Steeped in idealistic hope and dedicated to the underground and the stories of outsiders in society, LENZ’s work takes place at the intersection of theatre, live music and performance.
LENZ is strongly influenced by musical genres such as folk, heavy metal, noise and drone, as well as experimental music collectives such as LANKUM, SunnO))), clipping. & BIG|BRAVE. Recurring themes include class, mental illness, gender, non-binary identities, loneliness and trauma. On the basis of these disciplines and topics, LENZ exposes socio-political systems and opens these up to discussion through its stories and characters. LENZ creates a solidary, tender, intersectional, contemporary repertoire on humanity in decline, wrestling with others and the world around them, seeking salvation.
Following the success of Schede en Mes, this production will be revived at Frascati early in 2023 under the title Sheath and Knife. In addition, LENZ is currently working with Frascati Producties on Katie Cruel, the second part of their murder-ballads trilogy, following on from Sheath and Knife.
In de pers
"De voorstelling omarmt de duisternis op een bijzondere, mooie manier, inhoudelijk, visueel en op muzikaal niveau."
Theaterkrant (Keuze van de Criticus) over Sheath and Knife (Schede en Mes)
"Door Mackenna’s aanpak en het spel van Stoop wordt de eenzame, gebutste man toch niet tragisch, en dat is een bijzondere prestatie van de makers van LENZ."
Theaterkrant over LENZ
Producties
