Oh Boys!

Between Haftbefehl and Harry Styles. Bad Bunny and BTS. Apsilon and Apache. Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Baran Kok and Backstreet Boys. Your dad and your grandad. Gym bro, gamer, NPC, softie, T-boy, TikTok boy and main character. A whole host of different terms and role models show us how diverse the image of masculinity can appear today. Yet despite everything on off er and the achievements of feminism, there is now a discernible and much disputed comeback for: the alpha male. In OH BOYS!, POLYLUX examines masculinity as a personal experience and as a form of social power. Based on our own stories, texts, conversations, pop culture and the current political situation, we ask: how does someone actually become a “man”? How can they grow up with the pressure to achieve on one side and the feeling they cannot betray any weakness on the other? We don’t just talk about the views of persons who present as male, but also about the experiences of those who live with them — in friendships, relationships and families. What images of strength, control and superiority inscribe themselves into bodies and perceptions? How does masculinity influence how we live together? A polyphonic play devised through a collective process tells of privilege, vulnerability and responsibility.