Sign of the Times: Connie Palmen & Hans Achterhuis
In the programme series Sign of the Times, Internationaal Theater Amsterdam and debate centre De Balie link performances by the ITA ensemble to today's major social themes in a unique combination of theatre and conversation.
On 21 September we will discuss Judas by Robert Icke with former Philosopher Laureate Hans Achterhuis and author Connie Palmen. What can notions like betrayal and loyalty, sacrifice and service mean to us today?
Run time 90 minutes
Genre Perspectief
Language Dutch
Sign of the times: Judas, traitor or whistleblower?
He is the most famous traitor in history: Judas. The man who handed Jesus over for 30 pieces of silver. But aren't we selling Judas too short by doing that? Together with author Connie Palmen and philosopher Hans Achterhuis, we delve into the topicality of this age-old story on the basis of scenes from Robert Icke's ITA performance Judas.
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Should we see Judas as a traitor, revolutionary or whistleblower? And what is the lesson of Judas when we look at today's society, in which Julian Assange is a hero and one MeToo case after another is revealed. Are we living in the age of the revealer?
Hans Achterhuis
Hans Achterhuis comes from a religious background and studied theology and philosophy. He is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Twente. He is mainly known as a philosopher who does not hesitate to address social and political issues outside his field of expertise as a public intellectual. The emphasis of his work is on social philosophy, focusing on themes such as development aid, welfare work, scarcity and technology. In his most recent book Geloof in geweld, he tries to understand how religions can derail.
Photo © Roy Beusker
Connie Palmen
Author Connie Palmen has been fascinated by the Judas story for years. Her entire oeuvre is based on it. You say it, the title of her most recent book, comes from the Bible. It is the text of Judas' betrayal.
Photo © Annaleen Louwes
This season in
Sign of the Times
Please note the dates in your diary. Details per programme will be announced later.
8 December | Disinformation, the independence and credibility of science, and the tension between faith and science will be discussed on 8 December, following the reprise of Robert Ickes's De dokter.
14 February | On 14 February, the theatre marathon on the Trojan War Age of Rage (directed by Ivo van Hove) and Birds (by Majd Mouawad, directed by Alize Zandwijk) will provide material for a reflection on cultures of violence, and how a cycle of revenge can wreak havoc across generations.
4 June | Finally, on 4 June, we will make a programme in the context of the biennial Forum on European Culture.
