Reflection from May 9th

Hello from Germany!! I can't believe that we've been traveling around the country for one week now... Each day is packed with museums, tours, workshops, and theater. This isn't my first time in Germany, but this trip has revealed so much more about German culture than my previous times here. Experiencing several theater shows has provided our group with an honest reflection of Germany today and their attitudes towards current events. Some issues I have specifically seen represented on the stage have been the following: the ongoing refugee crisis, world relations, Holocaust scholarship, and reparations. It truly amazes me the ways in which the theater can perform pieces dating back to the 1800s but still include references to controversial current events. 

The first work of German theater I saw on this trip was "War & Peace" staged in the Kammerspiele. The company’s adaptation of this classic had me raving for hours after the show. After seeing "War & Peace", I think I finally understood what German Theater truly means and how it differs so starkly from shows I have watched in the States. This performance did not attempt to recreate the seemingly-never-ending novel by Tolstoy, but rather the script focused on certain elements of the story to create a cohesive and interactive interpretation. 

To date, "War & Peace" has included the most controversial commentary on current events. I was amazed by the actor’s references made to the German history. At one point in the show, two actors (one a German and the other an Englishman) were berating each other on stage with one political insult after another. I found it fascinating that whenever the Holocaust was brought up on stage, it was the English actor delivering the lines. In fact, he shared a personal anecdote of stemming from Jewish lineage and recounted the family he lost as a result of genocide. The German actors never voiced anything related to the Holocaust, but I still found and  the blatant Holocaust jokes to be a strong statement on stage. I’m looking forward to uncovering more about German culture by attending theater. Everything has been great so far, and I am very excited about what is to come. Tschüs!!