This show strikes a chord.
A radical feminist opera is causing major controversy and causing disturbed attendees to require medical treatment — and it’s coming to the US this month.
“Sancta Susanna” tells the story of a suppressed nun’s journey of self-discovery and sexuality, featuring shocking elements including explicit lesbian scenes, real injuries and nudity.
The one-act show lasts almost three hours and has no breaks — but plenty of sex acts, real and simulated blood, and painful stunts, alongside graphic portrayals of violence and nudity.
Some of the shocking scenes include naked performers appearing as clappers in church bells, others scaling walls while wearing only harnesses, and a crucifix-shaped sword being thrust down an actress’s throat.
The performance continues to push people’s boundaries, such as a moment when an actress portraying Jesus spanks a semi-naked nun, and another where performers mimic the crucifixion while being doused in fake blood.
Composed by Paul Hindemith, the original 1921 premiere of “Sancta Susanna” was canceled due to outrage over its content, having been deemed too blasphemous by critics — a belief still held by some today, perhaps unsurprisingly.
Now, more than 100 years later, the show is being performed in Stuttgart, Austria — a country where Catholicism is the most popular religion — for the first time.
The immersive production has received mixed responses from audiences, with reports of 18 attendees requiring medical attention for stress and more on-site — with three treated by a doctor for excessive nausea — during its initial performances, The UK Times reported.
However, the show’s team isn’t concerned.
A representative from the opera told the news outlet: “We recommend that all audience members once again very carefully read the warnings so they know what to expect.”
The latest production, reimagined by extreme performance artist Florentina Holzinger, aims to present a “radical vision of the Holy Mass,” pushing the boundaries of traditional opera, the Stuttgart State Opera website claims.
Its staging in central Europe has heightened its shock value, with the performance described as “sensual, poetic and wild.” Due to the opera’s explicit content, viewers must be 18 years or older.
Holzinger’s adaptation features an all-female cast portraying nuns who progressively shed their habits to rollerblade in the nude, The show incorporates a blend of classical music with contemporary genres described as “Bach meets metal, the Weather Girls meet Rachmaninoff — and naked nuns meet roller skates.”
At the center of the narrative is Susanna, a young nun who discovers her sexuality in a scandalous climax where she pulls down Christ’s loincloth on the crucifix. She later has sex with him.
However, one of the most difficult scenes to watch is when a performer has a piece of their very real flesh cut off and fried on a stove, according to media reports.
But the showrunners claim to know what they’re doing.
“Exploring boundaries and crossing them with pleasure has always been a central task of art,” the opera’s artistic director Viktor Schoner said via the show’s website.
Critics of the opera have raised concerns about the necessity of its graphic content, but Holzinger has defended her work, explaining that the exploration of female sexuality and bodily autonomy are important central themes.
She’s no stranger to complaints. Much of her previous works have also faced backlash, particularly from religious groups.
Holzinger is known for challenging societal norms, often blending elements of dance, martial arts and circus acts to explore themes of female oppression and critique organized religion.
The Stuttgart State Opera has defended the inclusion of nudity, arguing that performance art often diverges from traditional theater, using the body for more than character representation.
The recent performance at the Vienna Festival drew strong criticism from church leaders, including Archbishop Franz Lackner, who argued that it was “seriously offending believers,” reported The Times.
Austrian theology professor Jan-Heiner Tück complained that the “fixation” on nuns and sexuality is an “old fad,” per the Daily Mail, and questioned why the shrinking Catholic population can be mocked for how they choose to live their lives while other minority groups are increasingly protected.
Despite the shock and controversy, organizers have insisted that Sancta Susanna will continue its run, asserting that reactions such as fainting are not uncommon in theatrical settings — Demi Moore’s “bizarre,” new movie “Substance” has also reportedly had viewers feeling nauseous and faint.
“Sancta Susanna” defenders continue to insist that the opera serves as a performative, provocative exploration of sexuality and faith and aren’t done with it yet.
The show will run at Stuttgart State Opera through Nov. 3 — and most performances have sold out.
For brave stateside theater-goers, a version of “Sancta Susanna” will be performed in Los Angeles later this month.
The opera will drop Oct. 24 and 25 at Heritage Square Museum’s historic Lincoln Avenue Church.
