Position und Positionierung: Identitätspolitische Effekte im deutschsprachigen Gegenwartstheater

The term “identity politics” is frequently invoked in discussions of contemporary theater, yet it is seldom clearly defined. It elicits strong emotions and often polarizes opinion. But what exactly do we mean when we speak of identity politics in relation to theater?

This dissertation seeks to provide a terminological clarification. In a theoretical overview addressing the concepts of identity, identity politics, and the effects of theater, poststructuralism and ideology theory, which are foundations of postcolonial and queer feminist theory, are productively brought into dialogue with insights from theater studies. In doing so, the dissertation also offers an introduction to the work of Stuart Hall, Louis Althusser, Antonio Gramsci, Judith Butler, and Erika Fischer-Lichte.

In the analytical section, the author applies these theoretical findings to a range of productions and performances, examining how they generate identity-political effects: Identitti, based on the novel by Mithu Sanyal, in productions by Kieran Joel (Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus) and Jessica Glause (Theater Freiburg); works by the performance collective Frauen und Fiktion; and Xáta – Zuhause by Kamilė Gudmonaitė (Münchner Kammerspiele).

Antonia Leitgeb-Busche is head dramaturge at the ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg and head of the dramaturgy program at the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding. She studied German language and literature, Slavic studies, and dramaturgy in Salzburg and Munich. She completed her PhD at Ludwig Maximilian University in 2025 with this dissertation.