A performance by the American Drama Group
The American Drama Group Europe performed Shakespeare’s play open air in the old Brunnenhof der Residenz. Here is what the students thought about this memorable evening.
Teacher:
How did you like the performance?
Caroline:
I think that yesternite’s performance was absolutely not my thing, because I didn’t like the additional music – especially when they talked. It totally distracted me!!!
Marika:
I thought the music was really good!! It transferred the message of the play very authentically…
Maresa:
Hmmm… it was very cold sitting out there… I think Starbuck’s saved us…! But um… I liked the actors and the music as well it represented the moods quite well. The actress playing Ophelia had a really nice voice.
Theresa:
The music was a good idea – it was unexpected and created the right atmosphere. It was a bit long though…
Eva:
I liked it very much because it was easier to understand with the music.
Jakob:
I’m sorry but I wasn’t there – didn’t you notice??!!
Julius:
Me too!
Teacher:
No – it’s me ‘neither’, ok?
Paul:
Well, from a latecomer’s point of view I would like to add that I came late so I could leave after one hour. The actors were so bad it was cruel for me to watch.
Marika:
Actors – bad?? Whaddaya mean?
Paul:
Well, I just um… I didn’t like their whole performance… just that one scene, when Hamlet walked and the Queen played the drums – it was not in synch, just not professional…
Marika:
How do you know it was not intentional?
Paul:
(laughs) The drums and the steps were not together… so the importance of Hamlet’s walk was not emphasized as I think it was intended.
Julius:
[reading the latest issue of the school magazine] ???
Maresa:
Did YOU like it?
Teacher:
I very much liked the idea with the puppet players – that was really convincing, the way they acted like on strings, or this idea with only one stage setting that was used for all situations – the tower platform, the castle, the chambers, the gravesite and so on. I was amazed at what they were able to do with that little amount of things on stage.
Marika:
Some people said they weren’t surprised enough – but Hamlet is a classic and you can only do that much to it; the actors played very well, and there can’t be so much feeling transferred to the audience because they had to speak loudly all the time. Sticking to the classic version is a good choice.
Julius and Paul:
[laughing, probably checking out the teachers’ quotes in the school magazine]
Andrea:
The actors were good, so was the music.
Saskia:
[arriving late, playing Paul’s part today] Sorry, I totally messed up the hours…
Teacher:
Ah – yes, the time is out of joint and all that thing…?
Saskia:
Um… no. Just give me some time – I haven’t had breakfast yet...
Valentin:
[bored voice] I think it was boring…
Teacher:
But why for heaven’s sake?
Valentin:
I don’t know…, exactly.
Marika:
Because there was no bang boom bang chung…?
Matthew:
[deep in thought] Oh – I liked the play, the composition was very well, the combo of acting and music. It could have been close to the way Shakespeare had wanted his play performed, with bits of humor in this tragedy. Shakespeare would have liked it!
Sir Toby:
I liked the play, too, but I think it was a little bit too long. Perhaps just because it was so cold on this summer (!) night…
Alexander:
Me?? If I had been there, I’m sure it would have been very interesting.
Maresa:
Ja, lassen wir’s so, oder?
Julius:
Könnses uns bitte chicken?
Teacher:
Hey, wait a minute – there’s someone missing:
Anna:
Oh no, not me… Ok: I didn’t go because there was a birthday party yesterday…
Marika:
… yesternight!
Anna:
Whatever…
Teacher:
Whose party was it?
Anna:
A friend of mine had the party.
Teacher:
What was there to drink?
Anna:
Huh-huh… yeah… there was much to drink [pulling a face]
Teacher:
What was the present you gave him? A Shakespeare play on DVD?
Anna:
No, nothing.
Teacher:
Oh, is this the way now? You’re invited to a birthday party so you don’t bring nuthin’? – What do you say to this, Timo?
Timo:
[just relaxing from exhausting choir practice] I have the right to remain silent…
Teacher:
Clara, how was it?
Clara:
[just relaxing from exhausting choir practice] Very interesting… funny sometimes…
Hannah:
[just relaxing from exhausting choir practice] I liked it because it was very close to the book, unlike the movies. [goes on chewing]
Theresa:
Basically I liked the costumes, but the ghost looked hilarious and ridiculous. I heard someone calling him Zewa-ghost… it looked like he had just stepped into a role of toilet paper… but his voice was good.
Teacher:
Yes, the combination with the other male actors…
Theresa:
It made the effect even stronger…
Saskia:
[having almost fully recovered from her falling out of time shock] Um.. well. .. as far as I saw it I didn’t like it at first, they tried to create this existentialist atmosphere, the drums and tambourines were rather annoying. The actors interpreted most characters totally different to my interpretation.
Marie:
[just relaxing from exhausting choir practice] Um okay yes… it’s about the play yesterday, isn’t it? I did like it very much and I have to say that like out of the movies we like watched it was like the best and um… yeah, what else? It was created very finely and I was like never really bored like and sometimes when you like sit in like theaters like really bored like Oh my God it could end now but in this performance I never really got this feeling.
Teacher:
Why so? Or rather, to phrase it in a totally different way: How so?
Marie:
Somehow they managed to catch my attention for a long time. They made it appealing, understandable text wise, their actions and interpretations made me want to watch the play from beginning to end! Even though it was so cold….!
Teacher:
Would anybody like to add anything before this goes out to SPIEGEL online? – Oh, good morning Mr Hirsch!
Mr Hirsch:
[just relaxing from exhausting choir practice] Good mornin’ everybody…!? How yall doin’? You enjoyed the play?
Teacher:
That’s what I wanted to ask YOU!
Mr Hirsch:
I was just enforcing your authority…
Teacher:
What a lame joke…
Mr Hirsch:
Well, it’s still early in the morning, isn’t it? Very early indeed… No, I didn’t say that. I want to say something about the play. I think therefore I am… no. I think the interesting aspects of it were Polonius – very good acting… the idea of adding comedy in places. Then again I was rather disappointed by Hamlet, he was far too … well… I think… he was too outgoing? And I missed the… the…
Teacher:
Your statement will not be given to the police, so don’t worry about words, ok?
Mr Hirsch:
Ok. He missed the subtle parts of his character – like Hamlet is torn between the idea of fulfilling his duty to his father and staying human and just. That wasn’t visible.
Theresa:
I agree with Mr H. Sometimes the actor playing Hamlet tried too hard to convince the audience.
Mr Hirsch:
I didn’t like the idea of music – far too much, in the wrong places, its function in theater is overestimated. Additionally…
Teacher:
Wow, good word!
Mr Hirsch:
Well, that’s me… Additionally, the director missed out on the usage of light on stage. He didn’t care about it at all.
Marie:
I thought that the setting in this old castle yard was brilliant. I really liked this idea.
Maresa:
[raindrops falling on the windowpanes in room 220] Marika, have you got an umbrella?
Marika:
No, I don’t.
Maresa:
Umpfff….
Teacher:
Well, thank you for all your statements – I felt very much the same in many situations. My fingers start hurting now so I’ll stop typing, if that’s ok with you?
Chorus:
Hmmmm…. YES!
The End
