Düsseldorf’s Theaterlabor Traumgesicht, a performance group and workshop provider, has been practicing “Slow Acting” for over four decades, a method developed by actor, director and psychodramatist Wolfgang Keuter. The group recently hosted a “Come In” event, inviting the public to experience the unique approach to performance and self-exploration.
Slow Acting, as practiced at Theaterlabor Traumgesicht, centers on cultivating presence and resilience through deliberate, contemplative movement, and expression. The method aims to activate personal resources and facilitate self-realization through embodiment, offering participants a space to consciously engage with themselves and others. According to the Theaterlabor, the technique’s core strength lies in the merging of personal self-experience and its initiatory self-management principles.
Wolfgang Keuter conceived Slow Acting as a response to a perceived decline in foundational values across social, ethical, religious, artistic, political, and therapeutic spheres. The Theaterlabor suggests that many individuals feel increasingly adrift and struggle to find answers to fundamental existential questions, leading to growing uncertainty and anxiety. Slow Acting proposes an inward journey as a path toward inner security and accessing the creative unconscious.
The practice incorporates meditation, vocal and breathing exercises, and improvisational dialogue. A key tenet of Slow Acting is avoiding performance or striving for results, instead emphasizing “allowing, letting come, letting happen” what emerges from within. The method encourages slowing down and embracing the meditative aspects of movement and expression, qualities often absent in daily life.
A recent podcast episode from Theaterlabor Traumgesicht explored the influence of Japanese culture on the group’s work, highlighting the visible presence of Zen principles, including the incorporation of the Japanese flag into the theater’s logo. Intendant Wolfgang Keuter, artistic director Gianni Sarto, and 1. Vorsitzende Antje Orentat discussed the history of the theater, which originated in Munich before moving through Italy and finally settling in Düsseldorf.
Another podcast segment focused on the vital role of volunteers in sustaining Theaterlabor Traumgesicht. Sarto, Keuter, and Orentat spoke with Alexander Willich about the history of volunteerism at the theater, the conditions for participation, and the current team of dedicated individuals who contribute to the theater’s operations and atmosphere.
The Theaterlabor also recently discussed the process of bringing a project to fruition, from initial idea generation and collaboration to the practical aspects of costume, lighting, and securing funding. The group acknowledged the challenges involved but also emphasized the opportunities for future growth and innovation.
Theaterlabor Traumgesicht is currently preparing for future projects, with a scheduled podcast episode on Zen and Slow Acting set for February 10, 2026.
