Vegetative State is a polyphonic, branching, multiplying, repeating, divisible and motionless monologue. The play’s protagonist is a woman, yet she is not an individual; she is a crowd, a swarm. This is not an animal play; it is a plant play.

Drawing on Michael Marder’s philosophy of plants and Stefano Mancuso’s groundbreaking research in plant neurobiology, the play explores how concepts such as plant intelligence, the vegetal soul and plant communication might transform our creative practice.

If we accept that plants possess different forms of thinking, feeling, communicating and consciousness, perhaps we must also rethink our own human ways of thinking, feeling and being aware. In the words of Michael Marder,

“To acknowledge a valid ‘other’ in plants is to begin to recognize the vegetal other within ourselves.”

Vegetative State revolves around an impossible dialogue between humans and plants. Perhaps this failed dialogue with nature is one of our deepest monologues.

Manuela Infante’s Trilogy Comes Full Circle at Beykoz Kundura!

“Vegetative State,” the first part of Manuela Infante’s trilogy questioning human-centered thought, returns to audiences at Beykoz Kundura after a two-year break.

When we staged “How to Turn into Stone?” in 2022, Infante’s theatrical language resonated strongly in Istanbul. Now, as one of the international co-producers of “Vampire,” the third and final part of the trilogy, we are thrilled to also bring “Vegetative State,” the trilogy’s starting point, to our audience.

With this play, we once again invite you to question our relationships with human and non-human beings, our ways of thinking, and the way we perceive nature.

Friday, May 9 – Vegetative State

⏰ 21:00 (80 minutes)

Saturday, May 10 – Vegetative State

⏰ 17:00 (80 minutes) | Post-show Q&A