Samuel Koch
An unvarnished look at the reality of acting
Actor with passion: Samuel Koch.
© Aktion Mensch/David Mitzkus
“I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone with a disability work in this industry,” warns Samuel Koch in an interview.
Acting is his great passion, even if this world “isn’t made for people like me.” Samuel Koch (36) explains in an interview. It’s been almost 13 years since his serious “Wetten, dass…?” accident. Since then he has been paralyzed from the neck down. The actor and author calls for more diversity and self-determination in the theater industry. A goal that Aktion Mensch is also committed to. Koch experienced how it can work in the famous Berlin inclusion theater RambaZamba, which is supported by the social organization. There he took part in the play “Läuft” (directed by Leander Haußmann).
What barriers do you most often encounter at work and in everyday life?
Samuel Koch: For me, barriers are not just steps or the lack of elevators, but above all the hurdles in people’s minds. Accessibility is therefore a question of attitude. I often meet people who are cautious, skeptical and perhaps afraid of the unknown and therefore have a “hands in their pockets” mentality. It’s not just in public spaces, but also in theaters that people say: “Oh, that’s difficult,” “No, that’s not possible,” “We’ve got a problem here,” “We’ve never done that before and we are not insured for that, “I can only transport objects and not people.” This is sometimes difficult and often a shame.
But then I also experience the exact opposite, people who don’t cross their arms over their chest, but spit in their hands and grab something. These are the active people who see difficulties and problems as a challenge and are happy to create something new and do pioneering work. This is the field of tension in which I operate today in various productions. You can identify relatively quickly who belongs to which faction.
In your opinion, what is the status of inclusion and self-determination in the cultural sector, especially in the acting industry?
Koch: Self-determination is of course desirable, but it remains a certain illusion. In the end, no matter how much talent and dedication you have, you can’t determine things yourself. In this industry you are dependent on the market and what editors and producers decide. And then it’s occupied.
Do you also see positive aspects?
Koch: In the last ten years, a big change has been observed from actors who are flawless, extremely beautiful and speak perfect standard German to more diversity, i.e. a reflection of society. This is a welcome development.
However, acting is a world that is not made for people like me who need a lot of help. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone with a disability work in this industry because you cannot survive there alone. Even though I studied acting for four years and got my diploma, and even though theaters in Germany are heavily subsidized, it is still a rather unprofitable art. If I didn’t have the opportunity to earn money in other ways – for example with lectures and books – I would be in a bad place. And so working at the theater remains a very nice hobby.
Most recently, you took part in the new play “Läuft” at the famous Berlin inclusion theater RambaZamba. What makes working in an inclusive theater different from other theater venues?
Samuel Koch: It is – I don’t want to hide this – quite challenging. I have never before gone into a premiere with so much room for improvisation as here. There is always a certain uncertainty because you never know exactly what will happen. The fact that each performance is different from the previous one also has a special quality, namely a great deal of truthfulness.
What do you personally take with you?
Koch: For me the whole thing was a lesson in empathy. The players responded so empathetically to each other when biographical boundaries were reached or when emotional wounds were opened that I often thought: Oh man, you can learn a lot here about how to approach each other emphatically and work together. I am convinced that this will also spill over into the viewers.
Aktion Mensch accompanied Samuel Koch during rehearsals for the piece as part of their current #VielVor campaign: https://youtu.be/v2US-pCXOZw