June 2003 - Nr. 6
Hamburg’s Theater Triebwerk
in Kitchener
by Herwig Wandschneider
Theater Triebwerk came to the Concordia Club in Kitchener, courtesy of the Goethe Institut Inter Nationes, to present the story we all read - Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Actually, Theater Triebwerk is on Tour in the USA and across Canada for several weeks and side-tracked to Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener and London from New York, before carrying on to Halifax and then on to Calgary and Vancouver. And what a privilege it was to have them here!
![Ismael (Oliver Hermann) way up there in rough seas & the crew (Heino Sellhorn, Uwe Schade) [photo: Herwig Wandschneider]](306c-HW_2.jpg)
An
audience of some 230 watched in fascination as the three actors transported
them into the exciting and fascinating chase of Moby Dick in the mid 19th
century. Supported by only by a few props carried with them from venue to
venue, the three, Oliver Hermann, Uwe Schade, und Heino Sellhorn, managed to
turn the simple stage into violent storms in the Pacific in the deadly hunt
for the most aggressive of all Great Sperm Whales (Pottwal). Through song,
musical effects and extraordinary acting we saw Ismael climb high up the
mast to secure the rigging and spot Moby Dick as the seas tossed the ship in
all directions. And were frightened by the angry captain thumping about the
ship with one artificial leg as he forced the crew to persevere.
![An enthustiastic audience acknowledges this magnificent performance [photo: Herwig Wandschneider]](306c-HW_3.jpg)
Not
only did the play bring back the memory of the adventure, it transformed it
into reality before your very eyes, and if you took a moment to study the
faces of the audience, they were transfixed in awe and amazement, at one
time horrified by the vivid description of the processing of the whale to
oils, soaps, and candles and another laughing at the uproarious humour
interspersed with the tale of the hunt. Not surprisingly, the audience was
represented by all ages, but the majority were adults, who enjoyed every
minute of this 70 minute long play.
Marion Villa-Lobos of the Goethe Institute accompanied the performers to Kitchener: "The play has been received by appreciative audiences around the world. Their performances received numerous awards in Germany. We were exceptionally lucky to have them."
Theater Triebwerk presents the play on demand in either German or English. Here it was of course in German. The audience gratefully acknowledged that this performance was made possible through the Goethe Institute. The Concordia Club generously provided the Halle for this purpose. No Admission was charged.
Pity those, who missed this event.
