Hermann Hesse’s 1927 novel Steppenwolf, much reviled and much beloved, is the inspiration for this production.
As in the novel, this work is based on the desire to grasp the complexity of human beings and what it means to exist. By bringing an existential and sensuous exploration of humankind’s past, present and future into the theatrical space of live performance, director and actor Espen Klouman Høiner, co-creators and collaborators seek to evoke emotions and sensory experiences that go beyond the narrative and drama of the text itself. This experimental approach puts the power relations between actors, literature and theater space into play and holds the potential to challenge the actors to navigate between different realities.
Steppeulven is the third project by Sør-Trøndelag Teater, a constellation consisting of the actors Espen Klouman Høiner, Ella Bothner-By, Herbert Nordrum, Ole Johan Skjelbred and Kjersti Tveterås. They have previously produced Moby Dick (2014), based on Herman Melville’s novel, and Dager under (2014), by playwright Arne Lygre, at Trøndelag Teater. Black Box teater hosted guest performances of Moby Dick in 2014.
