Die Jane-Austen-Methode

Even 250 years after her birth, Jane Austen’s novels continue to shape our ideas of happiness, relationships, and true love. In therapist Stolzenbach-Tiefwasser’s self-help seminar, six singles aim to free themselves from romantic ideals à la Mr. Darcy. To do so, they undergo a therapeutic reenactment: Amid fog, wind, and historical costumes, famous Jane Austen scenes are reenacted and scrutinized for their romantic promises.

But the method encounters unexpected resistance: Jane Austen appears in person, contradicts the therapist and the interpretations of her novels, and interferes more than the therapist would like. The therapeutic concept devolves into a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”-like game of confusion, in which longings and deep-seated feelings take on a life of their own.

With*The Jane Austen Method*, Golda Barton and Isabelle Redfern build on their acclaimed adaptations of literary classics—including the Chekhov reimagining*Sistas!* at Berlin’s Volksbühne. With razor-sharp wit, wistful songs, and choreography that oscillates between attraction and distance, the result is a cross-genre theatrical evening that lays bare the romantic narratives that continue to shape the way we love today. Can true self-determination be reconciled with the longing for true love?

A comedy by Golda Barton with songs by Riah Knight and Reddym. World premiere, in German and English with surtitles