Geld ist Klasse

**Abundance and Democracy**
Excess wealth destroys social justice. It destroys all human livelihoods. Excess wealth is highly concentrated, uncontrolled power. And it is growing rapidly worldwide. Complaining about poverty, exploitation and social discrimination is no longer enough. The theatre maker Volker Lösch, the millionaire heiress Marlene Engelhorn and the actress Marlene Reiter approach the topic of inequality from an unusual perspective: together they perform a theatrical attack on excess wealth.

The sweat-inducing piece, in which intensified fast-talking and the performance of series of numbers at top speed can also be experienced, shows how money and (in)justice are connected and how excess wealth camouflages itself to the outside world and immunizes against criticism. In the game, Lösch, Engelhorn and Reiter combine documentary material, personal stories and grotesque acting scenes to form a hybrid whole that is intended to do one thing above all: a desire for change.

Marlene Engelhorn is the first super-rich person to speak self-critically about wealth on the theatre stage. Through these insights into the isolated world of the super-wealthy, the production "Money is Class" makes the process of knowledge vivid. It turns out that change can only be brought about together – the poor, the rich, the public and politicians must take action in equal measure.

**Who is Who**
*Marlene Engelhorn* studied German at the University of Vienna and has worked in the field of tutoring and language training, among other things. When she learned of her large million-dollar inheritance, she began to deal with the ideas of the Guerrilla Foundation; she is now part of the Funders' Circle. She is co-founder of the "taxmenow" initiative and, together with other wealthy people, vehemently advocates a wealth and inheritance tax as well as progressive capital gains taxation. In addition to many appearances and activities on radio and television, she published her book "Money" in 2022.

*Volker Lösch* is one of the most distinguished directors of contemporary theatre. His more than 100 drama and opera productions to date include works for houses such as the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, Schauspiel Essen, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Hamburger Schauspielhaus, Theater Bonn, Schaubühne Berlin, Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and the Volkstheater Wien. In his productions, Volker Lösch deals with current political issues and social grievances with concrete local references. To this end, he often involves representatives of different social groups in the performances. Volker Lösch was invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen with the productions "Marat/Sade" after Peter Weiss at the Schauspielhaus Hamburg in 2009 and "Tartuffe oder Kapital und Ideologie" after Molière/Piketty in Dresden in 2022. In 2013 he received the Lessing Prize of the Free State of Saxony.

His most recent works include Brecht's "Threepenny Opera" in the Reichsbürger and AfD milieu at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, the play "216 Millionen" about climate flight at the Schauspielhaus Bonn, "Käsch und Naziss" at the Saarländisches Staatstheater - about the self-abolition of democracy and its defence, and "Candide oder der Optimismus" at the Staatsschauspiel Dresden about dealing with crises and catastrophes and Weber's "Freischütz gegen Rechts" at the Bonn Opera.

"Money is Class" is part of the opening round of the 26/27 season.