Jan Klata, photo by Christian Rolfes / Schauspielhaus Bochum
Jan Klata, one of Poland's leading theatre directors, takes up Schiller's classical 200 year old drama in order to explore its complex story in a visionary way. Following his adaptation of Kafka's America, the director returns to Schauspielhaus Bochum with a premiere showing of "The Robbers" on the 3rd of March, 2012
Frederick Schiller's play, exemplary of the German protoromantic "Storm and Stress" (Sturm und Drang) movement, stirred a sensation following its premiere showing in the city of Mannheim in 1782. It is considered to have had a major impact on the development of European melodrama.
The plot of The Robbers revolves around a conflict between two aristocratic brothers, Karl and Franz Moor. The charismatic but rebellious student Karl is deeply loved by his father. The younger brother, Franz, who appears as a cold, calculating villain, plots to wrest away Karl's inheritance. As the play unfolds, both Franz's motives and Karl's innocence and heroism are revealed to be complex. Together with his gang of robbers, the latter fights against the unfairness and corruption of the feudal authorities. After the father, misled by Franz, curses Karl and banishes him from his home, Karl becomes a more disgraceful criminal and murderous arsonist, now seeking revenge for his past sacrifices and ideals of freedom. This despair leads to discovering new "goals", which will have him finally sacrifice his ideals and dreams of heroism. He breaks the law, for as he says, "the end justifies the means." Franz, meanwhile, plots an evil intrigue against his brother in order to get rid of the first-born entitled to inherit, as well as his own father. He then strives to win the favors of Karl’s beloved fiancee, Amalia. This cold-hearted and callous man developed a lack of feeling as all of his father’s love went to the first-born Karl. Although rather ugly and unpopular, he is quite intelligent and cunning. Incapable of relating to the mundane and sinful world of human passions, Franz fixes himself to a rationalistic way of thinking. Through this character, Schiller attempts to demonstrate the consequences of replacing a moral way of thinking with pure rationalisation.
Klata approaches Schiller's idealistic drama from the perspective of the story, taking on the convention of a fable. Although the play itself pictures a battle between good and evil, what is interesting is that one cannot easily state who is accountable for evil and who for the good. Each moment seems capable of changing our perspective, depending on where we draw the front line. The characters emerge from darkness into the light, only to soon vanish again in a world of shadows. Klata probes the question of individual freedom, the destructive power of idealists as well as an almost magical power of family bonds.
The Robbers
written by Frideric Schiller
directed by Jan Klata
set design and costumes: Justyna Łagowska
choreography: Maćko Prusak
script: Olaf Kröck
cast: Andreas Grothgar (Lord von Moor),
Raiko Küster (Hermann/robber),
Florian Lange (Franz),
Nicola Mastroberardino (Schweizer/robber),
Ronny Miersch (Roller/robber),
Kristina-Maria Peters (Amalia),
Bernd Rademacher (Daniel),
Felix Rech (Karl),
Dimitrij Schaad (Spiegelberg/robber),
Klaus Weiss (priest)
Jan Klata is one of the leading directors of Poland’s young generation. Born in 1973 in Warsaw, he took up his studies in directing at the Warsaw Theatre Academy and then moved to the State Theatre School in Kraków. He was assistant director to such masters of Polish theatre as Jerzy Grzegorzewski and Krystian Lupa. His first production of Nikolai Gogol's Rewizor / Inspector General was hailed the most important debut of the year 2003. Since then, Jan Klata continued staging his work in the most significant theatres in Poland. His productions were shown at various festivals, as well as numerous theatres abroad. Klata is also a laurete of major Polish theatre prizes.
In an interview for the Słowo Polskie journal, preceeding Klata’s take on Schiller’s romantic drama by nearly 9 years, the director already expressed his thoughts on youth and ideals:
First comes rebellion, the protest against a deceitful reality, against all those supermarkets, sales, promotions and 'Las Ketchup', 'Tatu', against nonsense and falsehood. Young people have a fresh outlook on things. Sometime it’s desperate, it can be angry and malicious, but it is valuable. ...Underneath this anger there is, on the one hand, despair, sadness, and sorrow while on the other - a potent energy for change
Słowo Polskie, 18th of April, 2003
Preceding the The Robbers' premiere showing, Schauspielhaus hosts a panel discussion entitled "Polish-German Dialogues: Contemporary Polish Theatre" on Friday the 2nd of March, at 6 pm. Jan Klata takes part in the discussion, along with theatre critics and writers from Poland and Germany. The talk is moderated by Schauspielhaus Bochum’s playwright, Olaf Kröck. The event is organised by the Polish Institute in Dusseldorf, and participation is open to all and free of charge.
The staging of Klata’s performance benefits from the financial support of Fundacja Współpracy Polsko-Niemieckiej (Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation). It is coorganised by the Polish Institute in Dusseldorf, with the support of Stadwerke Bochum.
The Robbers premiere on the 3rd of March, 2012 at the Schauspielhaus in Bochum with performances following on the 8th and 17th of March, 2012
source: press release, www.portalpoint.info