State Theatre: Everything Must Shine

Outside, the world is sinking in masses of water, but inside Rebecca's house, everything continues as normal. While familiar melodies on the radio allow one to forget the roar of the impending flood, the housewife stands in high heels in the kitchen, preparing a festive family meal with a swinging spatula – even though the family has long since fallen apart: the father has left, set out to find a better place; the son has also moved out to find his father; only daughter Rachel, just about to spread her wings, keeps her mother company. But whether the neighbor shoots herself due to the hopeless situation or Rachel's prom date is suddenly torn apart by a shark; the protective home must continue to be nurtured and cared for by Rebecca, because "everything must shine" – even if the world is coming to an end. Noah Haidle (born in 1978 in Michigan) has written a bitterly tragicomical play about the human response to catastrophe, filled with entertaining dialogues. In his absurdly bizarre apocalyptic scenario, where biblical plagues collide with climate disasters and human abysses, Haidle reveals humanity's (in)ability to cope in the face of impending disaster. Whether it’s unrealistic hope, cold denial, or disillusioned acceptance: every coping strategy is permissible to deal with the apocalypse – at least as long as it is only happening right outside the door.