Profile
| Translation of the title | Black Feet – Uprooted |
| Project Type | Acting / Performing arts |
| Languages | 🇫🇷 French & 🇩🇪 German |
| Author | Pauline Cano |
| Actresses | Larissa Hall, then Katharina Donat and Pauline Cano |
| Part | Jeanne |
| With the support of | René Harder |
| Guest participant | Gvantsa Akhvlediani |
| Venues | Theater im Ballsaal Bonn, Institut Français Bonn |
| Premiere | Short version : 14 September 2024 Full version : 27 January 2025 |
| Number of performances | Full version : 3 Short version : 5 |
| Length | Full version : 60 minutes Short version : 20 minutes |
| Upcoming shows SAVE THE DATE 🗓️ | 11 & 12 March 2026, Institut Français Bonn |
Schwarze Füße – Déracinée comes to life again: we transform the piece into a bold new development. A laboratory of languages, memories and emotions : that is Schwarze Füße – Déracinée II supported by the cultural office of the city of Bonn.
Want to support us? It’s easy!
Through viele-schaffen-mehr by Volksbank Köln Bonn, every €5 you donate is boosted with an additional €10 from the bank.
And of course, there are exclusive rewards depending on the amount you choose to give — from free entry tickets and signed posters to one-of-a-kind artworks.
Description
Jeanne is on a journey to uncover her identity. She seeks to reconstruct her family’s past in order to better understand who she is. Yet, her conscience never lets her rest, constantly reminding her that the emotional pain she may feel—despite the privilege of living in Europe, on her own land, in her own country—cannot compare to the turmoil her great-great-grandmother endured over a century ago. The question remains: How does one navigate such emotions?
Exile becomes her anchor, her research, her obsession—until she finally realizes that what has bound her family together for five generations is exactly that: exile.
Jeanne and her conscience speak two different languages: Jeanne expresses herself in French, while her conscience speaks German. This linguistic contrast is a deliberate artistic choice, highlighting the character’s internal conflict.
This piece blends poetry and raw emotion, joy and sorrow, tenderness and brutality. It tells the story of two women, connected by blood, caught in an intense and often chaotic dialogue.
Genesis and performance history – Origins and Background of the project
Schwarze Füße – Déracinée was created in 2024 with the support of René Harder, in the framework of a collaboration with the Körber Stiftung for the Tage des Exils in Bonn. It was first presented in September 2024 at Theater im Ballsaal as part of the performance Heimat in Vielfalt, which explored themes of identity, belonging, and displacement. The play was restaged at the same place in March 2025
The full-length version premiered in January 2025 at the Institut français Bonn. Two additional performances took place there during the Bonner Theaternacht 2025.
The role of the conscience was first performed by Larissa Hall and later taken over by Katharina Donat.
This project was born from a deep personal and artistic exploration of identity, memory, and exile. Jeanne’s story reflects a universal struggle—one of belonging, inherited pain, and the need to understand one’s roots. Inspired by real-life experiences and historical narratives, the piece delves into how the past shapes the present, and how generations carry the weight of displacement in different ways.
The decision to have Jeanne and her conscience speak in different languages—French and German—emerged as a powerful artistic choice, symbolizing the fractures within identity and the dialogue between past and present. The staging intertwines poetry, emotion, and history, creating an intimate yet universally resonant experience.
From its earliest development through each new performance, the piece continues to evolve, shaped by the interpretations of its performers and the engagement of its audience. With each staging, Schwarze Füße – Déracinée reveals new layers of meaning—and we hope to continue performing it as widely as possible, sharing its story with diverse audiences across languages and borders.
Gallery
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Pauline Cano - Multidisciplinary artist 