The 10 Selected Productions
Die Jungfrau von Orleans
Romantic tragedy based on Friedrich Schiller, in an adaptation by Joanna Bednarczyk
and a translation by Olaf Kühl
Nationaltheater Mannheim
Premiere 22 June 2021
Being Johanna and playing Johanna: Ewelina Marciniak and Joanna Bednarczyk dissect Schiller’s canonical text and look for the facets of the historical, literary and mythical character.
Due to illness in the ensemble, the performances of “Die Jungfrau von Orleans” took place as a film/theatre performance.
Die Jungfrau von Orleans. Video trailer
© Nationaltheater Mannheim
- 1 h 55 min, no interval
- In German, with English surtitles; Tue 10.5. with German audio description
- For ages 16 and over
Past Dates
- Monday, 9 May 2022
- Afterwards accolade in honour of the artists
- 20:00—22:05
- Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage
- 15 – 56
Schiller’s drama was first performed in 1801 and presents Jeanne d’Arc as a farmer’s daughter who sets out on the divine mission of turning the French army’s crumbling fortunes of war against the English. But who is the Johanna behind the myth? In her adaptation, dramaturg Joanna Bednarczyk examines the text from a present-day feminist perspective. Director Ewelina Marciniak and her cast describe Johanna’s path with subtly tuned choreographic, audio-visual and musical devices as a process of emancipation.
Statement of the jury
Who is this Johanna, or Joan, in Friedrich Schiller’s romantic tragedy “Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans)”? A role model for emancipation? A religious fanatic? An idealist’s brainchild? Looking for the woman behind the clichés, director Ewelina Marciniak and dramaturg Joanna Bednarczyk rewrite and comment on Schiller’s text, deconstructing it every way they can think of. Their dreamlike video images above the stage and choreographies that suggest the turmoil of war and pathos as well as a party atmosphere and the flush of emotions are strong theatrical devices. In the end, the virgin emerges as a male construct, as a historical, religious and literary character. Marciniak counters this with the voices of the women and female actors onstage, who exchange their ideas about the dangers and the nature of acting: “Everything changes; the world changes along with the change in you.” Which this show – with all its productive fuzziness and its radical nature – proves impressively.
To juror Georg Kasch’s video statement in the Berliner Festspiele Media Library
Artistic Team
Ewelina Marciniak Direction, video direction
Dominika Knapik Choreography
Mirek Kaczmarek Stage and lighting design
Natalia Mleczak Costume design
Jan Duszyński Music
Przemysław Chojnacki Video direction
YANKI FILM Video production
Joanna Bednarczyk, Anna-Sophia Güther, Sascha Hargesheimer Dramaturgy
Cast
Annemarie Brüntjen Johanna
Eddie Irle Thibaut d’Arc
Christoph Bornmüller Karl VII
Sophie Arbeiter Queen Isabeau
Vassilissa Reznikoff Agnes Sorel
Maria Munkert Count Dunois
Arash Nayebbandi La Hire / Bertrand / Margot
Matthias Breitenbach Talbot / Black Knight
László Branko Breiding Lionel / Louison
Ragna Pitoll Raimunde / Montgomery
