The state opera in Stuttgart has clarified the events that resulted in eighteen audience members needing medical attention.
During the weekend, Stuttgart’s state opera in Germany showcased Florentina Holzinger’s Sancta Susanna. The performance featured unsimulated sex, both fake and real blood, as well as live piercing on stage, drawing significant attention.
While the opera has faced criticism, and reports emerged that some audience members required medical aid due to the show, representatives from the theatre have provided clarification.
The sight of naked nuns on rollerskates was one of the less shocking elements of Holzinger’s Sancta. The performance also included a wall of crucified naked bodies, fake blood, a lesbian priest conducting mass, a real sex act on stage, and a scene involving a crucifix sword. For those unaware of the opera’s content prior to attending, it’s not surprising that some were overwhelmed.
Though Holzinger aimed to explore kink communities and BDSM culture in relation to the church rather than directly disrespecting it, the production has been accused of being sacrilegious and has drawn criticism from religious leaders.
Despite media implications that the nature of the performance was why attendees required medical assistance, the opera house has provided a different explanation.
Opera spokesperson Sebastian Ebling noted that eight people on Saturday and ten on Sunday needed to be attended to by the visitor service, with three requiring medical attention from a doctor.
Maurus Zinser, the head of visitor service at the State Theater, provided a ‘quick fact check’ on the Staatsoper Stuttgart’s website, offering further insights.
Confirming the weekend statistics, he stated: [Translation] “Nobody threw up in the opera house over the weekend, as some media have reported, and we also didn’t have to administer first aid eighteen times. Somehow, over time, something inaccurate seems to have taken on a life of its own.”
He mentioned that assistance was provided to some individuals even before the show started. But why?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWLmmDIMGaE
Zinser explained that whenever a large group gathers and sits closely, ‘assistance from the visitor service or doctors’ is always available.
He mentioned that the opera house typically ‘calls an ambulance once a week for normal performances’.
“The opera house accommodates 1,404 people, and occasionally someone who hasn’t eaten or drank enough, or finds the auditorium’s air too oppressive, might feel faint,” he elaborated.
Zinser also pointed out that Sancta runs for two hours and 45 minutes without an intermission, which presents a ‘particular challenge’.
“Additionally, the stage shows events that are unusual for an opera house. Notably, the depiction of a wound causes discomfort for some guests.”
“Some visitors who left the auditorium mentioned feeling unwell, and often a sip of water was enough to assist them. Notably, several returned to the auditorium afterwards.”
He concluded by advising potential attendees to review the ‘information on content and sensory stimuli’ available on the opera house’s website and only attend if they are prepared for the experience.
“This evening promises to be a unique and distinctive theater experience!”