Theater: The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant / Katzelmacher
Although the actual anniversary of Fassbinder’s seventieth birthday has now passed, events commemorating the seventieth year since his birth continue. For instance, two new theater productions of RWF works can currently be seen in Germany and Switzerland. On 30 May the Theaterforum Kreuzberg in Berlin is hosting a guest performance by the independent theatre company Society Players / theater hautnah. Directed by Petra-Maria Popp, a female ensemble is presenting THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT. The play deals with a dependent relationship between the successful fashion designer Petra, her young lover Karin, who is looking for an opportunity to better her situation, and Petra’s silent assistant and maid Marlene. Within this triangle of relationships, the title character is forced recognize that she cannot possess someone and at the same time demand unconditional love – her endeavor to do so ultimately results in her left being completely alone. Since its premiere in 1971 at the theater documenta 2 in Darmstadt, THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT has been Fassbinder’s most frequently performed work both within Germany and internationally and is currently enjoying great popularity in the German-speaking theater world.
A production of another popular Fassbinder play is currently running at the Theater Basel: KATZELMACHER. It tells the story of a group of young people who direct their dissatisfaction with their lives at a Greek “guest worker.” Since being written 46 years ago, the play has lost none of its relevance and, for instance, was recently staged in Dresden in reaction to demonstrations by the anti-immigrant movement Pegida. In Basel the play is being performed by young amateur actors who have been engaged in a theatre education project under the direction of Eva Gruner.
More information:
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT
Theaterforum Kreuzberg
Eisenbahnstraße 21
10997 Berlin,
Tel: 089 / 612 88 880
Tickets: €16, concession €12
Theaterforum Kreuzberg website
Performances:
5, 6, 11, 12, 13 and 14 June 2015, 8 p.m.
KATZELMACHER
Theater Basel
Klein Bühne
Theaterstrasse 7
4051 Basel
Switzerland
Tel: 0041 61 295 11 00
Tickets: 20 CHF, concession 11 CHF
Performances:
11 June 2015, 8 p.m.
14 June 2015, 7 p.m.
Photo left: THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT, © Artur Hassa
Photo right: KATZELMACHER, © Katharina Good / tink.ch