William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Winter 2009/2010

It is what it is, says love. So much for Erich Fried.
Neither Oberon, King of the Fairies, nor Duke Theseus of Athens have much truck with this. The former is currently in bitter argument with his Queen Titania about a human changeling child. While these two are presently rather short of domestic bliss, things do not look better in Athens. Confronted by Theseus with the prospect of either forced marriage, celibacy or death, beautiful Hermia and her beloved Lysander flee through the forest; followed by the groom forced on her, Demetrius, and her friend Helena, desperately clinging to him against all reason. Their flight from the world of men, where love is ruled by force and law, leads both fugitives and pursuers into the fairies' struggle, where they become victims to the trickery of Oberon and his servant Puck, which are currently trying to break Titania's resistance by magic. Also on it, though rather involuntary: the exalted weaver Bottom, together with his troupe of amateur actors, who falls prey to one of Puck's special pranks.

Directed by:

Sarah Bingham

Cast:

Theseus - Bix Breidenbach

Hippolyta - Anke Bauer

Lysander - Jan Winkler

Hermia - Tanja S. Romich

Demetrius - Thomas Erlinghagen

Helena - Ela Sonntag

Egea - Christina Anders

Quince - Julia Osterbrink

Bottom - Tilman Floehr

Flute - Néo Havinga

Snout - Sabrina Wczasek

Snug - Johanna Schewior

Starveling - Richard Jung

Titania - Antje Schumacher

Oberon - Ben Sonntag

Puck - Andrea Schmitz

Peaseblossom - Miriam Piel

Mustardseed - Christiane Heetkamp

Cobweb - Elli Kuth

Moth - Cordula Ulbrich

Extras:

Kirsten Anders, Franca Bülow, Tobias Cronert, René Glebke, Anna Ravenstein, Nico Siegmund

Conceptualisation: Anke Bauer, Sarah Bingham, Tanja S. Romich, Ben Sonntag, Ela Sonntag

Organisation, Asst. Director & Press: Ben Sonntag

Light & Sound: Matthias Schaffrath

Music: Anke Bauer, Stephan "Bix" Breidenbach, Julia Osterbrink, Ela Sonntag

Fairy Lullaby: Music by Stephan "Bix" Breidenbach & Elisabeth Kuth

Costumes: Susanne Evans, Elisabeth Kuth, Julia Osterbrink

Props: Elisabeth Kuth

Stage: Tilman Floehr, Andrea Schmitz, Ela Sonntag, Jan Winkler

Makeup: Gérard Wüller, Anke Bauer, Franca Bülow, Lina Goege, Anna Ravenstein, Anke Simon

Poster: Thomas Michalski

Programme: Ben Sonntag, Ela Sonntag (Text); Thomas Michalski (Layout)

Thanks: RWTH Aachen, Institut für Anglistik, Amerikanistik und Romanistik, Prof. Dr. Rudolf Beier, Prof. Dr. Peter Wenzel, PD Dr. Sven-Knut Strasen, Ulrike Stalinski; Biblliothek des Instituts für Anglistik; Partnerschaftskommitee Aachen-Halifax/Calderdale e.V., Hannegret Stuckenburg, Dr. Christa Schmidt; Kulturbetrieb Aachen, Sandra Meis, Sandra Schmitz; Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Werner Wosch, Jürgen Kluth; Marianne Weyrauch & Dekanant der Philosophischen Fakultät; Hochschulradio Aachen, Marijke Duits, Judith Salomon; Tim Claahsen, Lars Raasch, Sonja Kellermann; Condra Verein für lebendiges Rollenspiel e.V.; Jens Lundszien; Rechen- und Kommunikationszentrum der RWTH Aachen, Markus Kühbach; Sebastian Wiederrecht; Restaurant Parapluie; Last Exit