So much of what happens on stage at the Steinmühlenforum looks so effortless when it’s finally performed. Yet in almost every case, it’s the result of weeks or months of work. Everything is prepared and rehearsed with diligence and dedication, even in class. That was also the case with the 5th-grade musical titled “Kwela! Kwela!” It was THEIR night. But it wasn’t just the youngest students who were involved in the performance.

The story begins with a crisis: There’s no water in Africa, and it’s sooo hot. This causes problems for the animals—and calls for a solution. That doesn’t seem so easy—with a cheeky know-it-all, a poet in love, a desperate lover, a diva, an old sage, queens and a king, laid-back animals, and thieving spirits. —A colorful group, in other words, struggling to maintain their comfortable lives. A little rabbit plays an important role. In the end, everyone gives something up, but everyone also wins. You win when you lose. A fair deal.

Choir and Soloists

The parable about the struggle to achieve a harmonious coexistence, accompanied by abundant music, required the participation of many singers in its performance: The 5th-grade choir, directed by Daniel Sans, Ulrike Wilmsmeyer, and Frank Wemme, as well as the vocal soloists Samuel Kirschning, Justus Manczyk, Annica Bartsch, Carlotta Meyer, Sophia Rogosch, Marie Grosse, and Leontin Schmidt.

The Joy of Acting

The cast included Maximilian Glock (King George), Antonia Kurlinsky (Queen Geogina), Stella Preiss (Queen Georgia), Lilian Gräser (Zebra Zoe), Zebra Fred (Finja Simmer), Mats Egbring (Priscilla), Konrad Rothmann (Tebogo), Jaron Häußermann (Wise Marabou), Sude Yilmaz (Frank the Elephant), Liliane Albrecht (Zoe the Monkey), Colin Schäfer (Marvin the Monkey), Neyla Fritz (Tschipo the Rabbit), Mats Egbring (the Oracle), as well as Mika Bredendiek, Max Krug, Jonas Nolte, and Philipp Zielen as the Monkey Ghosts. The performance was directed by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer and Frank Wemme.

They set the rhythm

The musical accompaniment was provided by the musical band, made up of students in grades 7 through 11. The following instruments were played:

Flutes (Nela Haeberle, Flûte Seifart, Alicia Spitzhüttl), saxophone (Tom Herfert), trombone (Samuel Ruff), piano (Nina Simmer), electric bass (Janne Schweitzer), drums (Aaron Ruff). Frank Wemme from the Music Student Council played electric guitar and led the group.

For Great Sound

No performance would be complete without the contributions of the WU Sound & Light team. The team consisted of Tim Bastian, Finn-Jonas Posingies, Anton Schneider, Luis Klefenz (grades 8 and 9), Raphael Hetche, Basti Sasse, and Julian Textor (grades 10 and 12). Sam Kempkes directed the production.

The parents helped

The visual impact of any performance should not be underestimated. The fact that the costumes and makeup were so professionally prepared was thanks to Birgit Niedziella, Alessa Niedziella, and Kira Gräser. Other parents also helped out with the makeup.

Great at Painting

The set design was created by Samuel Kirschning and Justus Manczyk (Sun/Title), Janne Elsaßer (Oracle), Celia Giebing, Merle Herwig, and Emma Wagner, under the direction of Ines Vielhaben.

The posters were created by Annica Bartsch, Leonard Berger, Mika Bredendiek, Zoe Closmann, Mats Egbring, Neyla Fritz, Max Glock, Lilian Gräser, Jaron Häußermann, Quentin Herwig, Antonia Kurlinsky, Carlotta Meyer, Jonas Nolte, Stella Preiß, Konrad Rothmann, Colin Schaefer, Ben Scharmann, Sude Yilmaz, and Philipp Zielen under the guidance of Ines Vielhaben. The hand puppets were also used as part of their 5th-grade art class.

Ulrike Wilmsmeyer was in charge of the overall organization of the event. We would like to thank the school administration and Oleg Koch, the custodian, for their organizational support.

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.