Opera with lesbian sex scenes, bleeding leaves 18 requiring medical treatment from 3-hour graphic show

This show strikes a chord.

A radical feminist opera is causing major controversy and sending troubled attendees seeking medical treatment — and it’s coming to the US this month.

“Sancta Susanna” tells the story of a repressed nun’s journey of self-discovery and sexuality, featuring shocking elements including explicit lesbian scenes, real-life injuries and nudity.

The one-act play runs for almost three hours and has no intermission – but plenty of sex acts, real and simulated blood and gory stunts, alongside graphic depictions of violence and nudity.

Some of the shocking scenes include naked performers appearing as clappers on church bells, others climbing walls wearing only armor and a cross-shaped sword being thrust at an actress’ throat.

The performance continues to push people’s boundaries, such as one moment when an actress portraying Jesus punches a half-naked nun, and another where performers mimic the crucifixion by smearing themselves with fake blood.

Composed by Paul Hindemith, the original 1921 premiere of “Sancta Susanna” was canceled amid outrage over its content after it was deemed too blasphemous by critics – a belief still held by some today, perhaps surprisingly.

Now, more than 100 years later, the play is being performed for the first time in Stuttgart, Germany.

The immersive production has received mixed responses from audiences, with reports of 18 attendees seeking medical attention for stress and more locally – with three treated by a doctor for excessive nausea – during its initial performances, the UK Times reported.

However, the team of the show is not worried.

A representative from the opera told the newspaper: “We recommend that all audience members read the warnings again very carefully so they know what to expect.”

The latest production, re-imagined by extreme performance artist Florentina Holzinger, aims to present a “radical vision of the Holy Mass,” pushing the boundaries of traditional opera, the Stuttgart State Opera’s website claims.

Its staging in Central Europe has increased its shock value, with the performance described as “sensual, poetic and wild”. Due to the opera’s explicit content, viewers must be 18 years or older.

Holzinger’s adaptation features an all-female cast portraying nuns who gradually abandon their habits to roller-skate nude.

The show includes a mix of classical music with contemporary genres described as “Bach meets metal, weather girls meets Rachmaninoff – and nude nuns meets roller skates”.

At the center of the narrative is Susanna, a young nun who reveals her sexuality in a scandalous climax, where she knocks down the loin of Christ on the cross. She later has sex with him.

However, one of the most difficult scenes to watch is when a performer has a piece of his real flesh cut off and fried in a stove, according to media reports.

But the showrunners claim they know what they’re doing.

“Exploring boundaries and crossing them with pleasure has always been a central task of art,” said the opera’s artistic director Viktor Schoner via the show’s website.

Critics of the opera have raised concerns about the necessity of its graphic content, but Holzinger has defended her work, explaining that the exploration of female sexuality and bodily autonomy are important central themes.

She is no stranger to complaints. Many of her earlier works have also faced backlash, particularly from religious groups.

Holzinger is known for challenging social norms, often mixing elements of dance, martial arts and circus acts to explore themes of female oppression and criticize organized religion.

The Stuttgart State Opera has defended the inclusion of nudity, arguing that performance art often differs from traditional theatre, using the body for more than representing characters.

The recent performance at the Vienna Festival drew strong criticism from church leaders, including Archbishop Franz Lackner, who argued it was “seriously offending the faithful”, The Times reported.

Austrian theology professor Jan-Heiner Tück complained that the “obsession” with nuns and sexuality is “old fashioned”, according to the Daily Mail, and asked why the shrinking Catholic population could be mocked for the way they choose to live their lives. theirs while other minorities. groups are increasingly protected.

Despite the shock and controversy, organizers have insisted Sancta Susanna will continue its run, claiming reactions such as fainting are not uncommon in theater settings – Demi Moore’s “weird” new film Substance too it reportedly had viewers feeling nauseous and faint. .

Defenders of “Sancta Susanna” continue to insist that the opera serves as a performative, provocative exploration of sexuality and faith, and they’re not done with it yet.

The show will run at the Stuttgart State Opera until November. 3 — and most shows are sold out.

For die-hard theatergoers upstate, a version of “Sancta Susanna” will be shown in Los Angeles later this month.

The opera will be shown in October. 24 and 25 at Heritage Square Museum’s historic Lincoln Avenue Church.