What comes to your mind when somebody says the name (Johann Wolfgang von) Goethe? When I hear it, a picture of an elderly 19th century dude meticulously working on his “Faust“ pops up. I am pretty sure everybody came across his writings and poems at least three times during their school times (I can only speak for Germans though). Relying on my personal intuition I would characterize him as slightly stuck up, incredibly creative and truly ingenious, though he was perfectly aware of his abilities and status. He wrote some seriously heavy stuff which can be a bit difficult to approach at times. I know what I am talking about, since I am a future German teacher. At least until you pay a visit to the Goethe related theatre play “Goethes sämtliche Werke – leicht gekürzt!” performed by the Compagnie de Comédie. The beautiful Klostergarten right in the city centre hosts the “Sommertheater” every, as you might have already guessed, summer and takes you back to a time when political, social and societal beliefs and epochal characteristics changed every thirty years (at least that is how the people then felt I imagine). The three actors, Christoph Gottschalch, Eugen Krößner and Peer Roggendorf are all very experienced representatives of the guild. Together, they embody all types of characters (men, women, etc.) and give a hilarious overview from a framing perspective. By relating Goethe´s life to his works, it is possible for the audience to get a better feeling for his thoughts and motivation to write.
I don´t want to say too much in advance because you should definitely see for yourself. One thing I want to add is that I don´t think it is the best choice to watch with kids. The play includes many jokes and hints which children won´t understand because it demands a certain level of world knowledge. When we went to see it, a boy of approximately ten or eleven sat in front of us and during the whole play he either ate or fiddled with his fidget spinner and ultimately, I could understand why he did so. That evening, he was the only child there by the way.
I really hope you can make it to the play and really, do not recoil because the play is in German. It will be worth your while. And it is a magnificent way to learn something about German literary culture and connect it with a unique kind of evening´s entertainment.
Bye for now!
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source of photograph: https://www.wasgehtapp.de/images/termine/9346024.jpg?date=2017-04-21+12%3A52%3A06