As of: March 1, 2024, 6:26 p.m
By: Susanne Greiner
Comments
Press
Split
Forging intrigues on the ladder: (from left) Michael Günther as Duke, Katharina Kwaschik as Thurio and Johannes Quissanga as Proteus.
© Greiner
A whirlwind is sweeping through the theater: The Shakespeare Comedy Berlin ensemble races along the banks of madness through “Two Gentlemen from Verona” – and delivers terrific entertainment, from thigh-slapping to tricky word play.
The topic: Love in all its highs - if it exists - and lows.
Brilliant.
Landsberg - Everywhere in the world and the seven seas it's the same thing, sings Annie Lennox in "Sweet Dreams": Everyone is looking for that something - but it's unattainable.
Well, whatever, keep your head up.
Just go on.
It is the final song with which the Berlin Shakespeare Company concludes its production of the Shakespeare comedy.
And you probably can't summarize the piece better - at least in the Berliner Ensemble's reading.
Because director Arnim Bag creates a monument to folly.
And sends pure love where it belongs: into the realm of dreams.
“Two gentlemen from Verona”: With a “Sorry!” everything is forgotten
Just as we deal with Shakespeare's original differently, it is not exactly full of human development: the friends Proteus (Johannes Quissanga) and Valentin (Arnim Beutel) are ecstatic with love for Silvia (Elisabeth Milarch), weave intrigues, betray the woman, betray each other. .. and bridge the deepest depths of human egoism with a succinct 'Sorry!'.
All's well that ends well?
Not quite.
Everyone has the one they wanted.
But somehow a putrid smell wafts through the air: pure love and the happiness hoped for with it turn out to be a pile of dung.
The company production sets a crazy pace, fueled by the servants of the noble nobles, the fools.
They deliver artistic word arabesques about masters and sheep, expose love as a blinding evil, their rule as sulking toddlers shouting “But I want!” and escape the suffering by laughing at the ambiguity of the word “embark”.
The stage design (Kathrin Hegedüsch) has to be simple so that you can race along – like Silvia in her glittery sneakers: two ladders, two rods, scarves.
“Garden!” declares Lucetta and places a plastic flower on the stage, a kid glove stands for Milan, the picture frame on the ladder becomes a balcony window.
Six actors take on the 15 roles in rapid rotation, wearing a skirt or hat.
And they sing too!
Exclaiming, wringing his hands, saddened to death - and an imaginary dog
What is happening on stage takes your breath away.
The performance lasts two and a half hours?
Hard to believe.
The powerfully modernized text swirls through the air, the servant Lanz (Michael Günther).
Lucetta and Hurtig (both Katharina Kwaschik) further increase the madness in their foolish roles.
The gentlemen are in a frenzy, exulting, wringing their hands and saddened to death.
There are also fantastic ideas such as the empty knight's armor "Aide l'Amour" or the dog that mutates into a running gag: mostly invisible, sometimes a meter stick folded in a 'dog-like' manner - or the spectator on a leash who dared to get into the front row to set.
My news
Air Force assessment: Air base near Penzing suitable for stationing an Arrow radar device read
Rent cheaply in the Landsberger Papierbach-Quartierlesen
Despite a resident's threat of legal action: the municipality of Utting approves the summer market and lake stage reading
Landsberg's 'Forsthaus Falkenau' - The Kerler villa is sold
Penzing Air Base was favored by the Bundeswehr in the federal needs assessment
New party format in Landsberg: “Mama loves dancing” started in the city theater
Is this in Shakespeare's sense?
Perhaps.
Is that important?
No.
The audience's stormy applause proves: Nothing comes closer to the essence of comedy than this happy frenzy.
Further reviews of performances by the Shakespeare Company Berlin in Landsberg can be found here and here.