State of Empathy

A production by theaternyx* in co-production with Theater am Werk
World Premiere
Direction: Claudia Seigmann and Markus Zett
Premiere on February 26, 2026

Vienna, Inner City, 2066. Life during the hot season from May to September has partly retreated to Vienna's cool underground. Numerous underground garages, cellars, and tunnels have been adapted, where Viennese people now find refuge on scorching afternoons. The branch of Theater am Werk at Petersplatz is also a SiestaSpace® today, the term used for these underground cooling zones. The hosts serve drinks and other small refreshments to those resting here. The conversations reflect the New Equality: Vienna's urban society is, alongside Copenhagen, Oslo, and Amsterdam, the fairest and most equal it has ever been since people began living together in urban settings. This required powerful new institutions that enable as many people as possible to live with dignity, prevent violence, and cause minimal harm to the planet.

The institutional changes necessary to prepare the ground for an empathetic city have provided a particularly steep learning curve for one group of Viennese: the men. One of them shares how this transformation occurred: from violence to compassion, from separation to connection, from anger to love. He reveals the deprivileging that has pointed the way out of patriarchy and the behavioral patterns he has unlearned to be able to agree with this. He makes contact and gradually understands what needs to be done next.

theaternyx* continues with this project their playful exploration of utopia training developed in previous works such as über.morgen (2019-2022), Fürsorgliche Städte (2023), and Zeitenwalzer (2025). Since its founding in 2000, theaternyx* has been situated at the intersection of theater, performance, and social practice. Since 2004, public urban space has been the occasion and setting for site-specific, resident- or community-specific piece developments.

The interdisciplinary approach, the sublime play with the perception of the audience, and the enjoyment of unconventional performance formats ensure challenging theater evenings. This results in new and different perspectives on cities and their inhabitants. The narratives revolve around identity, diversity, and precarity; about storytelling itself and the spirits of cities. The projects thrive, among other things, on leaving immaterial traces in public space and in the minds of the audience.