2024-12-05 17:27:00
Family stories are often tragic. So much so that the author wanted to have it on stage only after his death. Sebastian Hartmann made it one of the rare pieces that will be remembered years later.
It is not a particularly nice family, but the worst theatrical family in the world that Sebastian Hartmann brings to the stage of the Dresden State Theater with “A Long Day’s Journey into the Night”.A work “written with tears and blood”, as confessed by the author Eugene O’Neill, who prohibited its publication during his lifetime. The traces of his own life were too clearly visible in this text, published in 1956 after O’Neill’s death and awarded the Pulitzer Prize: the tyrannical actor father, the drug-addicted mother, a brother who died prematurely of measles.
Hartmann does not turn the evening into a lesson on the author or his era. Instead, he tears the characters from the past context of their creation and throws them into the existential cold of his empty, luminous stage space, which radiates a sweet sacredness. Only a single armchair recalls the bourgeois interior on which the great Cordeliawege relaxes as mother Mary, who can only forget her pain for her deceased son and her hatred for her husband while under the influence of morphine. This is no longer a subtle Christian lament of the Virgin Mary.
Torsten Ranft as Father Tyrone plays the imperious pater familias who has been playing the same role for years in a traveling theater, which has become his second skin. He is used to being in the light while his family languishes in the shadows. The house rules are also the rules of the stage: in front of the ramp there are emotional whispers and behind it there are screams.The sons, the actor James Junior (Simon Werdelis), always humiliated by his father, and the consumptive reader of Nietzsche Edmund (Marin Blülle), rebel. They shout their pain in the room, especially at the front.
Again and again a signal invites the family to line up: the mother, the children and the dancer Rônni Maciel, known among others for Constanza Macras and Frank Castorf, remain rigid until the father arrives and throws them off the stage with a great gesture. Even when the patriarch’s strength diminishes, the proven movements remain. No one can break away from his father’s law, even when he holds his money together like the famous Swabian housewife when it becomes clear that his son Edmund is facing death without more expensive medical care.
After the pause that divides these three hours of evening,the spectator gets to know the father from a different side in an exceptional monologue by Ranft,as a social climber who had to internalize the reality principle harder than anyone else and more implacably even against himself same. to get something. This figure shows a lifetime of social rules subjugating those who thought they had mastered them even harder. A psychological tragedy discovered in modern drama and fertilized in literature.
A hymn to the beauty of abundance
With the rebellion against the reality principle and independence from senseless rules, Hartmann found the point of content that motivates his aesthetic decisions. So,as usual with Hartmann,the evening does not follow a fixed chronology,but is rather re-edited each evening by the actors from previously rehearsed scenes,with live musical accompaniment by Samuel Wiese,sometimes quieter on the piano,sometimes more opulent with electronics. And Adriana Braga Peretzki’s costumes are also a hymn to the beauty of abundance. “The superfluous is an absolutely necessary thing,” Voltaire once said. You can still experience it in the theater.
Hartmann’s “A Long Day’s journey into Night” ends at the premiere with a merciless indictment against the theater of illusions, the expropriation of the game, the corruption of the actors and the separation of art from life. The theater sold.in contrast, the shared exhilaration is maintained.With this reckoning, Hartmann makes visible the underlying warmth of an author like O’Neill: in all the brokenness, in all the lies, despite all the repression and human weakness, there is a romantic longing, a longing that cannot be killed. .
As in the case of Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain” or Michel Houellebecq’s “Annihilate”, Hartmann navigates hard in kitsch in his search for utopia, and for the final image a scenic element is actually lowered onto the stage like a boat sail. Kant once described truth as an island in the middle of a vast and stormy ocean. But art cannot remain calmly on the island of rationality; it must set out into the open air, unknown and new. It is indeed very fitting that Hartmann will direct Kant’s critic Nietzsche next year.
The way Hartmann wrings an aesthetic utopia from O’Neill’s familiar dark abyss is incredible – and was celebrated with long applause from the premiere audience. At the same time, it is a warning to the world of theater not to throw its resources into the sea out of desperation, panic or false beliefs, even in dark moments. Artistic work on destiny always means hope. If in a few years you will wonder which evening at the theater despite all this gave you a little hint of the frenzy of life, you will have to mention this one. In Dresden the sails of art are already taut for a heavenly storm.
What are the main themes explored in “A Long Day’s Journey into Night” as interpreted by Sebastian Hartmann?
Time.news Interview with Theater Director Sebastian Hartmann on “A Long Day’s Journey into Night”
Editor: good evening, Sebastian. It’s a pleasure too have you with us. Your recent production of “A Long Day’s Journey into Night” at the Dresden State theater has garnered quite a bit of attention. This is such a personal and complex work by Eugene O’Neill. What drew you to this particular piece?
Sebastian hartmann: Thank you for having me. “A Long Day’s Journey into Night” is a haunting piece that dives deep into the intricacies of familial relationships, especially those marred by addiction and despair. My captivation lies in its raw emotional power and the way it reflects O’Neill’s own tragic family history. I felt compelled to bring that emotional truth into the contemporary spotlight, albeit with a fresh perspective.
Editor: It’s interesting that you emphasize bringing emotional truth to the stage. O’neill himself was known to have reservations about sharing this work during his lifetime. How did you navigate his complex legacy while reinterpreting the characters?
Sebastian Hartmann: O’Neill’s life is imbued in each line, from his tyrannical father to his drug-addicted mother. I approached the material by stripping the characters of thier historical context, allowing the audience to see their pain in a modern light. The empty, luminous stage reflects that existential isolation, which I think resonates deeply today. It’s more about their journey rather than a historical lesson on O’Neill.
Editor: That sounds like a bold artistic choice.The set design, with its minimalism, seems to intensify the characters’ struggles. Can you elaborate on that aspect?
Sebastian Hartmann: Absolutely. The starkness of the stage, with only a single armchair recalling the traditional bourgeois setting, creates a profound contrast against the emotional turmoil of the characters. It forces the audience to focus on their inner lives rather than the physical surroundings. It’s a space where their pain and fragility become more pronounced.
Editor: The performances are said to be incredibly powerful, notably Torsten Ranft’s portrayal of father Tyrone. What was your vision for his character?
Sebastian Hartmann: Torsten captures the essence of Father Tyrone perfectly — a man trapped by his own role in a family that suffers in the shadows of his theatricality. He embodies the duality of the spotlight, where a performer shines, but the real pain of his family is hidden away. I wanted the audience to feel the weight of his presence but also the suffocation it brings to his loved ones.
Editor: You mentioned the tension between the characters, particularly the issues of humiliation and rebellion among the sons. How do these dynamics play out in your production?
Sebastian Hartmann: The sons, portrayed by Simon Werdelis and Marin Blülle, are at a breaking point. They embody the struggle against their father’s oppressive shadow. Their emotional eruptions serve as the cathartic moments of the piece. It’s an intense experience as they vocalize their suffering — it’s raw,unapologetic,and very much needed in the familial silence that frequently enough pervades such stories.
Editor: This production clearly emphasizes the tragic elements of family tales. Why do you think these themes resonate so deeply with contemporary audiences?
Sebastian Hartmann: Families are the microcosms of society, and their struggles often reflect broader social issues. Addiction, loss, and the quest for understanding are universal themes. In our fast-paced, often disconnected modern lives, works like O’Neill’s remind us of our shared humanity. They encourage empathy and reflection on our own familial ties, making the past relevant in today’s world.
Editor: Thank you, Sebastian.Your insights shed light on the power of theatre to reflect and challenge our understanding of family and legacy. We look forward to seeing how your production continues to resonate with audiences.
Sebastian Hartmann: Thank you for the engaging conversation. It’s always rewarding to discuss the deeper meanings behind our craft.