Nathan der Weise

“Nathan the Wise” is the seminal text of the Enlightenment. It stands for tolerance, reconciliation, humanism, and hope. In the end, it paints a utopian vision that could not be more beautiful: three groups of people from vastly different backgrounds learn to understand one another and live in peace. They become one global family. 

Even though the play almost feels like a fairy tale, “Nathan the Wise” does not deny harsh reality. The world the play depicts is rife with violence, racism, anti-Semitism, and armed conflicts—just as, unfortunately, our world is today. Is there still hope? Is our commitment to remaining humanistic still viable, or has it long since begun to crumble? Can we still envision utopias, even when so much stands in the way? So is it still possible to tell the great fairy tale “Nathan the Wise”? We believe so. And we must do so unconditionally and in spite of everything: “Against all odds.” Against all adversity, against all hopelessness and negativity. The possibility of peaceful coexistence, if not outright unity, as depicted in “Nathan”: this utopia is more necessary than ever before. 

Nevertheless, we would like to tell the story of “Nathan” from various perspectives, taking an outside look at this 18th-century text. To this end, we are inviting an Israeli director, a Palestinian composer, and a choreographer originally from Syria to explore the work together with our ensemble. In doing so, we have no intention of foregoing Lessing’s artful language, rich in vivid metaphors and intellectual precision, his clear yet touching characters, or his dramatic wit.