Review of the Premiere of “Inbox / Salz & Säulen”: A Symbol of Intercultural Dialogue

On October 9, 2024, the theater production “Inbox / Salz & Säulen” celebrated its world premiere at the Lehár Theater in Bad Ischl as part of our multi-year collaboration with the European Capital of Culture Salzkammergut 2024. This partnership brought to the stage a piece that deeply engages with intercultural understanding, memory, and global challenges.

At the heart of the evening was the question: “How do cultures enter into dialogue?” In a world filled with crises, growing inequalities, and increasing polarization, the play sought ways to overcome these barriers. The texts, written by Sidiki Yougbaré from Burkina Faso and Thiemo Strutzenberger from Austria, were developed during a writers’ residency and address themes of historical responsibility and intercultural understanding. Under the direction of Yougbaré and the German-Russian director Polina Solotowizki, the challenges of communication were powerfully depicted on stage: Two actors, Justin Ouindiga from Burkina Faso and Bene Greiner from Switzerland and the musician deeLinde from Austria and singer Nabalüm from Burkina Faso, faced each other, attempting to communicate despite language barriers.

These scenes reflect the challenges our world frequently encounters: How can people communicate and find understanding despite cultural differences and historical traumas? The production illustrates how silence—often caused by differences in background and history—can be overcome through creativity and a shared willingness to understand one another. In a world where old power dynamics are slowly being dismantled, the entire collaboration provided a much-needed reflection on the possibilities (and impossibilities) of dialogue between continents. It highlighted how cultural exchange can contribute to sustainable and equitable dialogue—and the potential pitfalls along the way.

Thus, the production “Inbox / Salz & Säulen” serves not only as an artistic work but also as a political statement. Art here becomes a means to highlight the divides between cultures while actively seeking ways to bridge them—a call for openness and the creation of new spaces for dialogue and collaboration.

Following the premiere, the piece was performed last week in Bodø, Norway, and will be adapted for further performances in December at Les Récréâtrales in Burkina Faso and at our own Operndorf Afrika.