DOPE

You snort a line or watch your friend go downhill because of it. You make a quick buck selling a small package or turn a blind eye at the port. Even your blueberries travel along the same routes used by the underworld. Whether you like it or not, you’re dealing with drugs.

The powerful theater and dance performance DOPE shows how drugs act as an invisible thread connecting all layers of our society. Through dynamic (hip-hop) dance, monologues, and intimate conversations, a drug dealer, a parent, a customs officer, and a user tell the honest story of the role drugs play in their worlds. For some, it’s a party; for others, it’s literally the container. That’s how you sometimes find yourself right in the middle of a drug deal. Gradually, you’re confronted with the consequences of dreaming about quick money, the temptation of social media, the failure of anti-poverty policies, and the feeling many young people have that they don’t matter.

For DOPE, WAT WE DOEN conducted research through the FORT-PORT program into drug-related crime and human trafficking in and through the Port of Rotterdam. Using the findings from this research, WAT WE DOEN and Lloydscompany are collaborating on DOPE. Starting one hour before the theater and dance performance, researchers from FORT-PORT will present the findings of this research in an artistic way in the foyer—think of a short film, a play, or spoken word. This program is open to the public and free to attend.

Media coverage of previous work
“They create performances that invite reflection on contemporary social trends, based on the personal stories of individuals from the port city.”(Theaterkrant)
“It’s amazing how their stories, told without words, are understandable to everyone and, above all, tangible.”(Theater- en Musicaljournaal)