Landestheater Niederösterreich
I suspect that high school students in the German-speaking regions read with great enthusiasm the twenty-five thousand lines of rhymed verses dating back to 1200-1210 by Wolfram von Eschenbach, the masterpiece of Middle High German literature. I assume that they might rather enter a brief summary or simple explanations into Google along with the title, and I don’t envision them listening to Wagner either. The performance of „Parzival” at the theater in Sankt Pölten (Landestheater Niederösterreich – Lower Austrian State Theater) is intended for them.
The target audience, as with any reading assignment, consists of general school students aged 12 and above, including primary and secondary school students, as well as educators who believe in the importance of theater as an institution and form of performing arts. Just like anywhere in the world, they approach this prescribed, yet seemingly uninteresting (national cultural heritage) work that was created in a language entirely incomprehensible in the 21st century. In such cases, the main goal is not focused on literary history but rather on purposeful knowledge dissemination, that is, addressing relevant issues based on the interests of the age group.
This story is suitable for addressing issues relevant to teenagers. Thorben Mei?ner, the dramaturge, and Jonathan Heidorn, the director, focus on Parzival’s search for his path and his coming of age, unfolding the conflict that arises between the protagonist’s emotional and intellectual maturity and the expectations set by his surroundings. Parzival struggles to find his place due to the pressure to conform, but at the same time, he exists in a harsh world where things are structured around strict rules, and he must fight real enemies and his own fears. His transformation into a knight, into an independent individual, is closely related to how he gains experience, becomes stronger, and learns from his mistakes. He increasingly relies on himself, gaining self-confidence, and consequently achieves greater successes.
This story, therefore, provides important life lessons and conflicts for teenagers to explore.
Nevertheless, the performance does not immediately set Parzival and the audience on the rugged path of self-discovery. Von Eschenbach’s knightly novel deals with the adventures of King Arthur and his Round Table, as well as the Grail knights, and it was a bestseller of its time, as we learn from the presenters dressed in white shirts and black trousers during school celebrations, who even quote a little in Middle High German. Just to be on the safe side, they also provide contemporary translations; otherwise, even the locally born high school students would be lost in comprehending the text, which, due to its genre, is mostly built on narration. The performance does not completely break this structure either; sometimes, it preserves the storytelling as it is, while other times, it lightens the atmosphere with illustrative actions or transforms it into self-ironic commentary during action. The transitions are well-paced, logical, but fortunately unpredictable, occurring within adventures and scenes.
The play takes place only in the foreground of the wide-open stage. Frankly, we cannot say that Thorben Schumüller’s set design, consisting of large, sheet-like white canvases and three black, grid-like metal frames that can be tilted, rotated, and stacked onto each other, distracts the viewers’ attention from the essence of the play. They use only a few props – naturally, there are swords – and everyone except the title character plays multiple roles. This is why the costumes are essential: they are stronger in character representation, quickly changeable, and practical (also the work of Thorben Schumüller).
Of course there are armours, and the helmets have grilles, but there are knights whose faces are covered with mime masks. As a means of support, the scene titles are projected onto the canvases, usually showing a name representing the character undergoing the most significant change in that particular situation or having the most significant impact on Parzival. Besides these, black-and-white images, some concrete details close to didascalia, live music, lights, and a bit of smoke all contribute to creating the atmosphere.
There are three actors and one musician (the composer, Alice Peterhans), who also successfully tackles some acting tasks, on the stage. The musician accompanies discreetly with her electric guitar, at times bringing events into focus with clear and straightforward expressions. Lennart Preining and Julian Tzschenke skillfully change their roles and create over twenty characters, each distinctly more pronounced than mere outlines. Caroline Baas, in the role of Parzival, evolves from an enthusiastic and inexperienced youth to a young knight who can confront and overcome his fears, making decisive choices. We can observe her transformation from carefree to thoughtful through her confident and composed posture, vocal expression, and gestures.
With their theatrical tools, the creators successfully unraveled everything that remains astonishingly modern even today in this grand opus, remaining entirely faithful to the spirit of Wolfram von Eschenbach. They condensed it into seventy minutes, but without simplifying the dilemmas. On the contrary, by finding relevant forms, they transformed this 13th-century legend into something timeless and made it intriguing and, moreover, relatable for 21st-century audiences.
by Papp Tímea
(Színházi Kritikusok Céhe)
Translated by Balogi Virág
Parzival
Baed on the works of Wolfram von Eschenbach
Actors: Caroline Baas, Alice Peterhans, Lennart Preining, Julian Tzschenke
Dramaturge: Thorben Mei?ner
Set and Costume Desing: Thorben Schumüller
Composer: Alice Peterhans
Director: Jonathan Heidorn
