Satire Theater Play - Singen für Deutschland
Last night I laughed my ass off to a
great Satirical Theater Play called "Singen für Deutschland" at the Bremer Theater. Set at a psychiatric clinic, a last resort to cure the symptoms of BeerAllergy, Footballphobia, Grilled-Bratwurst Paranoia, and other allergic reactions to the typical cliches of Being Germany, Not Being German Enough, Inferiority Feelings of German Identity and other psychosomatic reactions up to and including dealing with being labeled as Nazis. - The therapy method? Singing the Top Pop Charts German Songs, Germany National Hymn and forcing oneself to engage in typical German activities of Beer Drinking, Bratwurst Eating, Football playing and Mercedes driving. - Fantastic Satire. Superb play. Fun for the whole family.
The stage was set as a group therapy session, with two German flags, a German Eagle on the wall, and a piano. As each patient entered the stage we could observe their allergic reactions to seeing a German Flag and the Eagle. - One fell to the floor, unable to exist, paralyzed; one almost puked and was actively not trying to look at the German insignia yet she couldn't keep her eyes off it, which caused more nausea and stomach upset. One was calm and nothing seemed to bother him because he was dressed as a Native American Indian, a complete denial of being German in appearance and speech (yes, he mumbled something which was supposed to be language of American Indians displayed on popular American Western movies): yet his name was Rudiger. - a typical German name which does not occur in the Wild West. - Each actor displayed a stereotypical German character, in appearance and mannerism. And each in total panic of being German.
The play is an exploration of National Identity using the cliches of Being German, Beer Drinking, Bratwurst Grilling, Bundesliga Football playing. - Germans are in fact living a life of Germans without being German. - it's a stigma to be German, to care about your fatherland, to love your country and be proud because someone will always come along and point a finger at you and call you a nazi, - once a nazi, always a nazi. This is a tragedy of this country. The constant blame for the crimes of the fore fathers. a blame conveniently perpetuated by the outsiders. So the play explores this inability, this allergy, the paranoia within each German, how to be, who to be? At what level can I be a German? - it seems they are stuck, unable to create a National Identity that does not include the blame for fathering Nazism. - It's the courage therapy, courage to be who you can't escape being. Courage to live with the consequences and overcome the shame.
The play is superb. Nuanced, subtle undertones of humanity in a context of exaggerated cliched turn-up-the-volume distorted Top Pop Charts Songs the whole country vomits every year.
Imagine an American version, a hippie weed smoking San Franciscan forced to sing
"Let The Eagle Soar" at a therapy session with John Ashcr0ft as the Good Doctor whose gonna cure you and make you love your country and be a proud American. I would love to see an American Version of this. Somebody should write it. Have courage!
