‘… for you know: souls know no distance and no gender.’ – Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648–1695) – nun, poet, philosopher, composer, feminist. One of the most brilliant intellectuals of the Baroque era, whose ideas still resonate powerfully today. Largely unknown in German-speaking countries, this musical theatre production shines a light on Mexico’s ‘Tenth Muse’.
The interdisciplinary stage play follows the inner world of a woman whose spirit was boundless, while her body remained subject to the rules of a patriarchal society. Between dream and reality, monastery cell and cosmic insight, a story of courage, longing and resistance unfolds – told by an actress, four musicians and a light artist who embody all these dimensions in sound, movement and light installation.
The music of Sor Juana and her contemporaries is performed, as well as the world premiere of a setting of fragments of her most famous work, First Dream (Primero sueño), composed by Dorothee Hahne. Texts and poetry by Sor Juana are embodied by the performer, while a live light installation creates a fluid, digital stage set that transports the audience into her world of thoughts and time. A play about the pursuit of knowledge, the power of words and the unconditional freedom of thought.