The 7th-grade theater workshop provided excellent entertainment
The audience has probably never laughed so heartily at a performance by the 7th-grade theater workshop—and they laughed all evening long. The atmosphere in the packed Forum was lively from start to finish, with the audience applauding seamlessly from one scene to the next. – This is the best sign that the students, teachers, and the professional actors assisting with the direction did everything just right.
Classes 7b, 7c, and 7a performed their plays in exactly that order. “False Suspicion” was the title of the play that Class 7b had rehearsed under the direction of Ines Vielhaben and Daniel Sempf. In a brilliant way, the young ensemble managed to transform a current and rather serious topic into an entertaining stage play: A murder had taken place during a demonstration by supporters of a united Europe against advocates of a unified Germany. With expressive acting, plenty of wit, and obvious enjoyment of the performance, they succeeded in presenting the case and its resolution in such a way that they perfectly struck the right humorous note with the mostly adult audience, despite the not-so-funny real-life context.
“Once and Never Again” was the title of the play by Class 7c, which had been brought to the stage under the direction of Lisa Braun and Michael Pietsch. It dealt with the hurdles a long-term couple had to overcome while planning their wedding. Almost everything went wrong; no one did their job with the necessary care—leaving behind a rather stressed-out bride whose nerves frayed with every mishap. Of course, when you’re the one in trouble, you don’t have to worry about the mockery: the audience’s amusement grew in direct proportion to the chaos. A great performance by Class 7c, which received a lot of applause.
The presentation that Melisande Lauginiger and Michael Köckritz had prepared with Class 7a depicted scenes from “real” family life. Three families—each different enough in their own right and dealing with various internal conflicts—come together at a family therapy center. There, they learn that things aren’t going smoothly elsewhere either and even form personal connections—only to end up asking themselves whether the therapist at the center might actually be the craziest one of all. The question “Uh, is this the bar?” was the anticipated way out of the chaos—and at the same time, the title of the production.
After the three performances, the audience left the Steinmühlenforum visibly entertained and in high spirits. That evening had once again shown that, when it comes to theater, the Steinmühle couldn’t ask for anything better than the fantastic dedication of their fellow students, the enjoyment all seventh graders took in the experience, and the acting guidance they received from professional actors Daniel Sempf, Michael Pietsch, and Michael Köckritz.
