Eighteen Hospitalized After Controversial Opera Performance

Eighteen attendees at Stuttgart's state opera required medical treatment for severe nausea after watching 'Sancta', a provocative opera directed by Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger. The performances featured live piercing, unsimulated sexual acts, and a mix of fake and real blood, which led to concerns about the show's content. The opera, which marked Holzinger's debut in this genre, is based on Paul Hindemith's controversial 1920s work 'Sancta Susanna', exploring themes of celibacy and lust in Christianity. Despite the negative reactions, all remaining performances in Stuttgart and upcoming shows in Berlin have sold out. Holzinger's adaptation included shocking visuals like naked nuns roller-skating and a