Love is a Verb #2: Heartbreak on Stage at Hebbel am Ufer

From October 6 to 18, Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin presents the second edition of its festival Love is a Verb, titled "We, the Heartbroken." The festival explores how love can cause wounds and broken hearts, and whether that heartbreak can be transformed into political power. It is based on an essay of the same name by cultural theorist Gargi Bhattacharyya, who describes heartbreak not merely as personal loss but as an insight into what is currently breaking in the world. "Heartbreak becomes an expression of a wounded world – and at the same time a starting point for solidarity," the venue announces. "For it is precisely in the shared experience of vulnerability that the possibility of connecting with one another arises." The first edition, held two years ago, featured artists such as Melanie Bonajo, Ivo Dimchev, and Sadie Lune, who proposed alternatives to the couple relationship, rethought motherhood as a solidarity relationship, or buried the institution of marriage. The new edition includes dance, music, and performance alongside discursive events. Among the highlights: dance by Ali Chahrour ("The Love behind my Eyes"), performance by Rébecca Chaillon and Sandra Calderan ("La Gouineraie/Der Lesbengarten"), and theater by Nikusha Bakradze, Sopho Zeragia, Magda Lebanidze, Tamri Okhikiani, Sandro Samkharadze, and Davit Khorbaladze ("Nothing political"). The program and tickets are available online.