Gosia Wdowik
Gloria. The right to be desperate
Warsaw, Zurich
In her premiere at the Neumarkt Theater, Polish theatre-maker Gosia Wdowik explores our voyeuristic love of therapy reality shows and the collective longing to feel something authentic. She looks behind the veil of therapy, embarks on a journey of compassion and empathy – and demands a right to despair. Starting point for Wdowik’s new piece are «The Gloria Films» from 1965, better known as «Three Sessions of psychotherapy». Those films show Gloria, a mother and recently divorced wife, in psychotherapy sessions with three renowned therapists. Each of the films provides an answer to what was troubling her most at the time, namely questions about her sex life and her relationship with her daughter. The stated intention was to show the films to psychology students in classes to give them an insight into what is usually a private process. However, the films were subsequently released in cinemas and on television – without Gloria’s consent – thereby revealing her privacy.
«Gloria. The right to be desperate» utilises reenactment, actual footage, interviews, and lived experience, reflecting therapy, privacy and female desire. It is a tragedy of the authentic self, a trip into the world of therapy, confession and selfhelp culture and tackles the question: do we need authenticity so we can experience our own feelings? (tm)
Simple words
This play was inspired by three films.
The films show a desperate woman in three different sessions of psychotherapy.
The woman's name is Gloria.
In the sessions, she talks about problems in her marriage.
The films were supposed to remain private.
But they were shown on television after all.
Gloria was not asked for permission.
The piece is about therapy, privacy and female sexuality.
Artistic direction and cast
| Konzept & Regie | Gosia Wdowik |
|---|---|
| Mit | Izabella Dudziak, Sofia Borsani, Hale Bo Enzo Richter |
| Dramaturgie | Tine Milz |
| Bühne | Aleksandr Prowaliński, Gosia Wdowik |
| Kostüme | Maja Skrzypek |
| Musik & Sound | Agata Zemla |
| Foto | Philip Frowein |
Production
| Produktion | Theater Neumarkt |
|---|---|
| Premiere | August 2024, Theater Neumarkt (Zürich) |
Theater Neumarkt
Theatre. Therapy & voyeurism. Female empowerment
Duration
1.30 hrs.
Language
English, German, Polish
Surtitles
German and English
Age
12 years plus
An inclusive event
Cooperation
An event in cooperation with Theater Neumarkt
Dates
shows from today- Th 22.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Fr 23.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Sa 24.08. 19:00 - 20:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Su 25.08. 17:00 - 18:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Tu 27.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- We 28.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Fr 30.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Sa 31.08. 20:00 - 21:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–
- Su 01.09. 18:00 - 19:30 CHF 45.–/30.–/15.–