Play about alcohol abuse performed in ambush in Gelting
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A social worker has written a one-woman play about alcohol addiction. The health department invited people to the performance in the Geltinger pub.
Geretsried/Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – “I’m just chilling my life,” says Lisa. Excuses, self-deception, even defiance. She took the shortest possible route from constant party drinking to addiction. At some point she reacts aggressively to criticism from friends (“Fuck off and stop calling!”), a mixture of shame and self-protection.
Gabi Gómez, a social worker at the Einstein youth club in Geretsried, wrote a one-woman play “Champagne reception and after-work beer” and now performed it in Ambush in Gelting. The pub and cultural stage is actually less known for being a place of educational appeals; it is more about cultural excesses of all kinds, as stimulating as a good mojito.
The Hidden Alcohol Abuse: One-Woman Play in Ambush
However, this evening (organized by the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen Health Department) was all about common sense and addiction prevention. It took place as part of the Alcohol Action Week. While Gómez explores the possibilities of sophisticated drinking on stage, from family celebrations to Oktoberfest to club visits, from dates to after-work beers, the audience mostly sips prudently on apple spritzers, zero alcohol wheat beer and non-proof cocktails.
This evening is more about education than about enjoying art, especially the “HaLT” (Hart am Limit) project, a nationwide alcohol prevention program for children and young people, is being promoted here. Health department employee Bernadette Sappl also points out that there is no such thing as risk-free alcohol consumption. According to the German Nutrition Society, “less than one and a half bottles of beer per week or less than 27 grams of alcohol” are at least “low-risk”. And: “In international comparison, Germany is a high-consumption country with 12.2 liters per capita per year.” The consequences: In addition to accidents, injuries and violence, there is also an increased risk of cancer, says Sappl. According to the Ministry of Health, there are around 255,000 alcohol addicts in Bavaria alone.
Meanwhile, beer mats with the inscription “No alcohol behind the wheel” are lurking on the ambush tables. That’s reasonable. The announcement said that the 40-minute performance was “not intended to moralize.” She wants to “hold a mirror up to us.” Holding up a mirror – that’s always the step before the index finger is raised. And the piece doesn’t get past clichés in its short time, and the analysis of the causes remains rather sobering. There’s some (intrusive) symbolism here for that, for example when Lisa decides against seeing the movie “Titanic” (“It’s so sad”) and justifies her own demise (“There’s been a lot going on lately.”). Looking at it soberly: the message overshadows the art claim. It’s entertaining nonetheless.
Alcohol abuse can have many reasons, explains Gómez when asked by the audience. She would rather stay in general because that would go beyond the scope. What quickly becomes clear, however, is the denial, the excuses, the self-deception – always an act of sadness. Realization can be exhausting. “Just realizing that I have a problem sometimes takes a long time,” says Florian Baindl from Caritas addiction counseling. Conclusion of this evening: Problem recognized, and “drinking-proof” is not an award.