Reviews

Stefanie Reinsperger is terrific!

– Zeit

The Gruscha of Stefanie Reinsperger touches deeply.

– Tagesspiegel

Stefanie Reinsperger languishes, luxuriates, oozes, whoops, grunts, hops, whines, smooches, sobs, howls, scolds and despises at Champions League level.

– Die Welt

Stunning; the most de-cluttered Brecht you could wish for.

– Süddeutsche Zeitung

A celebrated sensation for the launch of the Reese-era.

– Der Standard

About The Caucasian Chalk Circle

The Caucasian Chalk Circle’s plot is of exemplary clarity and dialectic beauty: During a revolution, a baby is passed from one mother to another. Over the course of her flight, the new mother gets into ever deeper trouble and ultimately finds herself on trial at a court of law. Times have changed once more and the child is now heir to a great fortune. But Judge Azdak is still in power: His rulings are feared by the rich and a blessing for the poor. And when the biological mother ruthlessly demands the return of her child, he re-invents Solomon’s chalk circle.

Credits

Director: Michael Thalheimer

Performers:

     Stefanie Reinsperger – Grusche Vachnadze

     Ingo Hülsmann – Singer

     Tilo Nest – Azdak/Monk

     Nico Holonics – Simon Chachawa

     Anna Blomeier– Natella Abaschwili/Farmer’s Wife

     Hauke Petersen – Maro/Ironshirt

     Veit Schubert – Grand Duke/Farmer/Ironshirt/Dying Man

     Sascha Nathan – Adjuntant/Farmer’s Wife/Lavrenti Vachnadze

     Peter Luppa – Georgi Abaschwili/Dairy Farmer/Mother-in-Law 

Live Musician: Kalle Kalima

Costume Design: Nehle Balkhausen

Music: Bert Wrede

Dramaturgy: Bernd Stegemann

Lighting Design: Ulrich Eh 

Photographer of the poster: Matthias Horn

Chinese Script Translator: Yang Jingjing, Wei Zixuan

About Michael Thalheimer

Michael Thalheimer was born near Frankfurt/Main in 1965. From 1985, he studied Acting in Bern and worked as an actor at various city theatres in the German-language region, before presenting his first work as a director at Theater Chemnitz in 1997. From 2005 to 2008, he was head director and a member of the executive artistic team of Deutsches Theater Berlin. He has directed productions at the Vienna Burgtheater, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Residenztheater Munich, Thalia Theater, Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre and the Berlin Schaubühne, among others.

Since Oliver Reese became artistic director of Berliner Ensemble at the beginning of the 2017/18 season, Michael Thalheimer has been the theatre’s in-house director and a member of the executive artistic team.

Michael Thalheimer’s productions have received numerous distinctions, among them the television channel 3sat’s Innovation Award, the Berlin Friedrich-Luft-Preis, the Moscow “Golden Mask” twice and the Nestroy-Award several times.

About Berliner Ensemble

Berliner Ensemble is one of the most renowned and long-standing theatres in Germany. Named after Bertolt Brecht’s world-famous company, Berliner Ensemble has written theatre history. Throughout its 125-year history, the theatre on Schiffbauerdamm has always addressed issues of current social relevance, and from the 2017/18 season, the beginning of Oliver Reese’s tenure as Artistic Director, Berliner Ensemble once again places a stronger focus on contemporary texts and topics.

In the tradition of its former Artistic Directors, Bertolt Brecht and Heiner Müller, and under its new director Oliver Reese, Berliner Ensemble directs its attention to theatre that reflects upon our present times. Beside works by Bertolt Brecht, the repertoire features current topics and contemporary plays by living authors examining the urgent issues of our times on stage.

The significance of international contemporary drama is reflected especially in a programme for authors, which aims to attract new authors for the stage, and a repertoire featuring many international plays from countries like England, the US, Norway, France and Congo.

At the core of this theatre is its acting company. Currently, Berliner Ensemble has 28 permanently employed actors, among them Constanze Becker, Andreas Döhler, Stephanie Eidt, Bettina Hoppe, Ingo Hülsmann, Corinna Kirchhoff, Tilo Nest and Stefanie Reinsperger.

Apart from the acting company, a continuous cooperation with pioneering directors like Frank Castorf, Mateja Koležnik, Antú Romero Nunes and director-in-residence Michael Thalheimer significantly contributes to Berliner Ensemble’s profile. Modern productions are presented, as well as innovative theatre formats.