Today’s the day the winners of the three Stückemarkt prizes will be announced (10.30pm), following the staged reading of the last chosen piece, Magdalena Fertacz’s Caliban’s Death (6pm), and the reveal of what’s been going on behind closed doors on the Probebühne of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele at the rehearsals for Markus&Markus‘ performance (7.30pm), which had a name before it had a form: Polis3000: respondemus.
Markus&Markus, Dramatic Arts students from the University of Hildesheim are the first „project developers“ to perform at the TT Stückemarkt, although they don’t see what the fuss is about – after all, says one of the Markuses, artists have been developing performances without using a pre-existing dramatic script for hundreds of years. Still, it’s a Theatertreffen first, and excitement is in the air.
Their chosen mentor is director René Pollesch, whose play Kill Your Darlings! Streets of Berladelphia was itself invited to this year’s Theatertreffen. Perhaps Pollesch has had more time to spare on the Markuses‘ project since Wednesday’s second performance of his own piece had to be cancelled – his lead actor (actually the play’s only actor) Fabian Hinrichs has damaged his voice and can’t boom out Pollesch’s self-satirising anti-capitalist monologue whilst being flung around on stage by 15 young gymnasts.* I doubt the teenagers will be featuring in the presentation this evening (7.30pm), but then again even three days ago Markus&Markus weren’t able to say for sure who would be appearing in their performance – maybe Hinrichs will make a guest appearance as a mime.
* There’s still a chance to witness Hinrichs‘ one-man achievement at the Public Viewing at the Sony Center, Potsdamer Platz on Saturday at 4pm.
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