Comrade Shakespeare – a tragedy of pride

I was carefully considered with two lucky cookies when I left the Panasian restaurant in the gastronomically under -the -served Lower Lusatia. My goal: The Forster Hof (where in long times, in a state before this state, is said to have resided a city theater). As always, as always Shakespearner Harried Lausitz Festival, a spectacle with the engaging, but difficult to remember, pisses me off here. Your crop! «Given. The subtitle knows more to reveal: “Forster citizens rehearse the Coriolan”.

Director Jürgen Kuttner has made Shakespeare’s »Coriolan«. Brecht once called a tragedy of pride the old fabric from the birth of the people’s rule. And with the same Brecht, Kuttner taps the rarely played piece and introduces us as a conflict about democracy and its ongoing state of crisis.

Genosse Shakespeare

As you like it: Every two weeks, Erik Zielke writes about great tragedies, political lubricating theater and the fools from the past and present. He finds inspiration from his comrade from Stratford-Upon-Avon.

You can find all columns here.

Hold criticism of the management team of the Lausitz Festival in recent years, because a program is sophisticated with a lot of money from a distance, which may attract a few capital city journalists, but has little to do with the people on site, at least this time a lot was done correctly: not only did the people, folk anger and folk contempt have been brought to the stage, but with a citizen choir forester placed on the scene.

The Roman warlord Gaius Marcius, soon known as Coriolanus, hates the simple people. Battle for Battle he wins. And when he also strikes the Volsker triumphantly, he wants to be elected to the consul. War is presented as a measure for agreement and inner pacification. But food should already be taken care of. The plebs, the folk tribune are supposed to give their blessing. But he doesn’t get it, he turns against “folkleadness” and becomes a traitor. This is “House of Cards” – in ancient Rome and in verses.

Peter René Lüdicke shows the repulsive title antihelden with all the necessary snot. And Torsten Pötzsch, long -time mayor in the nearby Weißwasser, gives his theater debut as Menenius, a patrician, who is trying to compensate. A much -headed citizen choir, between the regulars’ slogan and a legitimate anger, soon points the Coriolan into its place. To do this, Matthias Trippner invented the accompanying melodies.

And the grandiose puppeteer Suse Wächter lends Brecht voice and hands. No false pathos and no sensitivity worry about the eyes. With Brecht, the audience sees this Shakespeare as a contemporary piece. The self -explained heroes also want to go to the top these days. And the people should nod. The game has to give way every now and then explanations and comments. It won’t be boring. Because Brecht and Shakespeare have something to tell us about the war of the up there against the below. And because Kuttner knows how to tackle such a fabric.

And what messages give me through the lucky cookies? “You can’t go back, marching forward.” So it will have seen the Coriolanus until there was no forward. And: “Remember: you have more strengths than weaknesses.” A gentle appeal to the people who do not have to be said to be said. And Brecht, Shakespeare’s most loyal comrade, would have noted: “But whoever wins – is lost.”