Preparation for the Dorfener "Faust": Des Pudels Casting
Created: 09/26/2022, 09:00
By: Michaele Heske
Reporter Michaele Heske sends her dog "Olaf" into the race.
© mhe
The initiators of the Dorfen summer spectacle "Faust" in the city center next year called for a casting.
Many amateurs followed and applied for roles.
The editors send the dog "Olaf" into the race.
Dorfen
– what a theatre: In the anniversary summer, the open-air spectacle “Faust in Dorfen” will be staged in the middle of the picturesque town centre.
It will be an opulent performance, a "Goethean panopticon", as director Andreas Wiedermann puts it.
Because in addition to professional actors, many local actors will also take part.
On Saturday, around 60 extras and bit actors came to audition at the middle school in Dorfen.
Among them the dog Olaf, who applied for the role of the poodle.
Unlike other castings, all actors are welcome at "Faust", says production manager Susanne Holzner from Dorfen at the beginning of the application round.
“There is no selection criterion, every contributor gets the right role.
Today we'll see who fits into the individual scenes." And: "We need you all!"
Seppo Schmid wanted to impress the jury with assistant director Anna-Lena Heinisch (left) and production manager Susanne Holzner (right) © Heske
The team led by Ernst Bartmann and Andreas Wiedermann, known to the Dorfen audience for numerous performances of operettas and musicals at the Jakobmayer, wants to appeal to a broad audience with its "Faust".
"Tragedy and comedy with wit and absurdity, a masquerade with dance and music theater," raves Wiedermann enthusiastically.
"Once from heaven to hell and back again," he quotes from "Faust".
The many candidates from Dorfen sit in a relaxed group, some have stage fright, others quietly recite the given casting text from Faust I, a short scene from the Easter walk.
"It's great that something like this is being set up in Dorfen," Elisabeth and Joachim Dreisig agree.
Faust is by no means too demanding, says the former teacher at the Dorfen high school: "And finally no beer wars," he says happily.
His wife sent him, says Mathias Schuster.
The computer scientist has in mind a role in which he can say short and concise sentences.
For example: "Hang him up" or in the "river with him".
Olaf, who is sent into the race by the local newspaper, has far higher goals: he has the poodle in mind, one of the main roles, so to speak.
Because the core of the poodle is known to be Mephisto.
The mongrel has prepared well.
He wants to convince the theater people of his acting skills with a scene loosely based on Goethe's Faust.
Free à la: "Here I am a dog, here I can be."
"Sit" and "down", even "male" when he is lured with treats, Olaf manages with flying colors.
Juror Wiedermann is still skeptical: "He's blonde," he criticizes.
No problem, the coat can be dyed for the premiere - raven black.
But can the dog also run across the playing surface?
"Right in the middle comes the big wow, the metamorphosis, the core of the poodle, Mephisto is on the stage," the director explains the scene.
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Mayor Heinz Grundner enters the stage in the middle school.
He thanks everyone present for the great interest in the performance.
"I don't have the time, so unfortunately I can't play myself," says the mayor.
And he adds humorously: "Unless you need a poodle - I can bark." Competitor Olaf acknowledges this fun with an evil growl.
Martha Baumgärtner also tried her luck - with Ernst Bartmann, Andreas Wiedermann and Susanne Holzner (from left).
© Heske
Change of scene: "A town like Dorfen can definitely afford a big spectacle like 'Faust' on the occasion of the 1250th anniversary of its founding," says Grundner.
After all, the open-air theater is to become the program highlight of the anniversary summer of 2023.
The total production costs are estimated at 269,000 euros, the expenses for the eight to ten performances are to be covered with tickets, sponsorship and subsidies.
There is room for 900 people in the grandstands in the city centre.
Not only high-spirited dialogues await the audience, but also some "rough scenes", says Bartmann, such as the drinking bout in Auerbach's cellar, which he wants to stage with lots of music.
The team from the Johannis-Café is applying for the pub scene.
Seppo Schmid, managing director of the cooperative, speaks on behalf of the casting.
“As innkeepers, we were made for it, so to speak,” he says.
Martha Baumgartner also came.
She has already acted in performances of the "Dorfen Beer War" and is now looking forward to a speaking role, but above all to the action that Goethe's classic will bring to the city.
Mayor Heinz Grundner (3rd from left) also stopped by the casting - here with (from left) Sigrid Wiedenhofer, Susanne Holzner, Andreas Wiedermann, Ernst Bartmann and Anna-Lena Heinisch.
© Heske
How much Dorfen should flow into the production?
The city center offers itself as a backdrop, many actors from Isenstadt are on and behind the stage, says Wiedermann.
"Otherwise we stick to Goethe's text specifications." He briefly looked at a Bavarian script of Faust, but immediately rejected this idea: "We can't do that to the poet prince."
With these words, Martina Schwerr celebrates inwardly.
The 62-year-old teacher originally comes from Cuxhaven and has lived in Dorfen for a long time.
"But if I apply to a rural theater ensemble here, I'm immediately the protagonist from the far north." In the long run, it's not funny to always play the outsider.
Marion Stamm from Lengdorf dances in the guard of the Dorfener carnival deife.
She has stage fright.
Stamm doesn't really care what she will play: "The main thing is that I'm there." If necessary, she would also appear as a poodle.
But beware, thin ice.
Because the dog of our newspaper team is speculating on the role.
Whether he actually gets the part will only be seen in a few weeks when all roles have been distributed in the final award.
"A great event and very productive," Bartmann praised all the actors present after the casting.
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