Quality Control

Last night I saw this very moving and beautiful multi-dimensional , multi- media piece by Maria- Christina Hallwachs and Rimini Protocol. Fully paralyzed from the neck down she dances around the stage in a motorized wheel chair lighting up areas on the floor in playful games of tic tac toe while she tells the story of her life:

"I never asked WHY this happened to me. Why did I fly 20 years ago with my parents from Stuttgart to Crete to celebrate my graduation? Why in that empty resort did I jump head first into the shallow end of the pool? It was the last action that my body was able to make," says the protagonist. In her fascinating and captivating story, Maria-Cristina Hallwachs shows us that life is a miracle and a blessing. With her subtly ironic and playful production with artists of Rimini Protokoll she succeeds in banishing tough themes of sorrow and in emphasizing the depth of thought and the ease with which she is able to say yes to life.

This piece was in German with Czech subtitles. I didn't understand any other the words. But the photographs, the films, the games, the music, the chair itself, the nurse/helper that performed with her were all very moving. Especially moving though was this incredible woman who was able to find joy, mischief and hard core truth in each moment of a riveting performance.