Ewig Jung - Ein Songdrama von Erik Gedeon

In the organizer's words:

A mix of rousing music, authentic performers and a dignified approach to the quirkiness of old age.

There they sit. Six ancient former actors and actresses, on the boards that mean the world. The theater they have chosen as their retirement home has long since closed. No magic, no audience, no applause. And yet they continue to live their dream, performing night after night an entertainment program that reminds them of their former stage days and the music of their youth. The body frail, soul and head still young. So the doddering old men rock through rock and pop history and live out old passions without restraint. A wonderful evening for the elderly, if it weren't for the unspeakable caregiver. The only woman on stage who doesn't even have a glimpse of menopause. Sister Rosa spreads gloom with silly children's songs and silly little dances. But this musical is by no means a drama, but a play with biting wit and great songs. Even if the bent bodies and the quirks of the aging actors don't look so dewy anymore, the fire of passion burns in everyone.

To display the physical and mental decay of old age on stage is a delicate undertaking. Can we laugh at the grotesque contortions of stiffened bodies and at mental decay?

We say "yes", as long as the old people themselves consider the activities of the old people on stage as completely "normal" and the spectator does not remain in the mode of judging "senile" behavior, but can enjoy the irrepressible joy of life of old people. Basically, we see children playing on stage. This invites laughter, but also humility and reflection on one's own life. "In my production, I try to find a balance between high-spirited slapstick on the one hand and struggles for dignity on the other. At the same time, however, I also want to show the erroneous development of society, that the elderly are shunted off, incapacitated and given the label 'moronic,' thus denying them a full life," says director Volker Heymann, who is bringing the anarchic play to the Capitol stage.

About Volker Heymann
In the 80s he was on the road with the "Komik-Kabinett Brom S11" in the Frankfurt cultural scene. His work as an actor took him to the Badische Landesbühne Bruchsal and the National Theater Mannheim, among others. In 1998 he was awarded the Baden-Württemberg cabaret prize. Since the 90s he has been working as a director (Schnawwl, Theater Oliv, TiG7, Theater der Altmark Stendal, Stadttheater Plauen-Zwickau, Weinheimer Spitzklicker, Theater Alte Werkstatt Frankenthal, Theater & Nedelmann Rödermark, t-raum Theater Offenbach). He is an author (Dinner for one - how it all began, texts for Bülent Ceylan, for SketchUp with Christoph Maria Herbst, dialogue author for "Verliebt in Berlin" on Sat1) and filmmaker of award-winning short films (2x Prädikat besonders wertvoll, 2x nominated for the Dt. Kurzfilmpreis, three films run as supporting films in several cinemas throughout Germany).

Ensemble:
Susan Horn
Annette Potempa
Jeannette Friedrich
Markus Weber
Markus Streubel
Matthias Eschli

Musical accompaniment:
Daniel Prandl

Direction:
Volker Heymann

Musical direction:
Daniel Prandl

Set design/choreography:
Corinne Kraußer

Make-up
Daniela Werner
Caecilia Neuweiler

Producer:
Thorsten Riehle

Production assistance:
Sabrina Iannuzzi-Hüttinger

Organizer: Nonprofit Children's and Adult Theater Capitol Mannheim UG

Price information:

24,00€ - 34,00€