WithU try to develop a piece and then not be able to play it, which is an incredibly frustrating process even for professional actors. “It takes a dialogue with the world, with the audience,” Martina Droste says. Then what does this do to young people? Drosti, responsible for youth club and theater education in Schrostial Frankfurt, and his team have been guiding youth through the epidemic for a year. With digital workshops, with activities, dance training and, if anything possible, real encounters. Your experiences are trying to stay in touch digitally: mixed.
For example, ten young people with whom they like to participate in Bertolt Brecht’s “The Round Heads and the Point Heads or Reach and Rich” play or rounds. World Orders has decided against a digital premiere – at some point they want to show everyone on stage what the long work process has become. For this reason, a rehearsal recording will now be shown in the drama stream for a week, later the group will also stream the play for class performance and be available for discussion. The first attempt to go digital on a guest tour at Anne Frank Educational Institute was very good, says Droste.
Festival “Theater of Diversity”
A kick-off event for the new “Theater of Diversity” celebration in Hanau is also to be streamed on March 10 with a digital debate by “Rand oder Spitz”. Racism, discrimination and social change are the subject of the piece, which is partly digital, partly analog. “We tried to make the best of it,” Dorst looked back over the previous months. Youth who have contact through a project, who have already done analog work in the theater, are more closely involved. As in “Round or Pointed”, for which recordings were made, with all hygiene requirements.
“It takes a dialogue with the world, with the audience”: theater teacher Martina Droste leads the youth club in Frankfurtter Shakespeare.
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Picture: Michael Kreutzer
If those who participate in the free offer stay – then reaching them is a great task. “The formats we chose were just different in the digital process. He acted in surprise, “Droste and initially the whole thing was also exciting, for example a postcard campaign in which quotes were sent to young people to work on themselves: with video clips, pictures, poems. But: “Many are not well equipped, no internet capability. This makes it more difficult to work. “On the other hand, schools are now relying on digital as well. Result: Many youth are tired because their daily rhythm is mixed. “You can do something digitally around the clock.” Offering even more digital offers is no longer attractive to young people.
“When I brought the youth home where it was possible, I met with great gratitude. Because it provides a physical experience that they would not otherwise have, ”says Droste. The youngster was waiting for him to be allowed back into the theater. “They are at home, tying them up for their everyday lives,” Droste says. They always “enjoy” when young people can move into a different, increasingly familiar experience space: “Young people should have the opportunity to come out of their everyday lives in a protected place.” Dealing with the Situation: There were several restrictions, including the varying living conditions of young people.
Loss of interaction and feedback can be clearly felt
“Things are lost, which are of central importance in theater work,” speaks of Droste and distance, the loss of piety, the loss of space in which completely different, free action is possible. The phase of mirroring, checking, and questioning is also missing: what people need is conversation and feedback. Droste also realizes this loss, and it is necessary to personally reflect repeatedly about the situations that the situation brings with her. She says, “are lost in direct encounters and a lot of aspects require young people.”
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Because youth club enables them to face people – who will hardly run with each other in young life. “130 to 150 youth are usually found in the resolutions of the year, which is now quite low.” The Youth Club operates in a diverse and inclusive way, with young people with disabilities being just as much as young refugees, some of them are. Difficult life situations. “The good thing is that we always have mixed groups.” Those who work on a project, “make contact with each other and no longer feel isolated”. There is a lively exchange with colleagues, says Droste. Theater producers also provide one-on-one support where the situation is difficult.
A film has also been produced
The large-scale project “All Our Futures”, which brought together 180 youth across the city for two years, got a good conclusion, although the commissioning planned by Tina Muller could not be performed. But the last overall “try out” took place and a final meeting took place in June 2020. A film has also been produced and will be shown on the theater’s website from 25 February to 3 March.
For the next project, “What I Don’t Know Doesn’t Warm Me Up”, which brings young people to the budding Jewish Museum, where they can perform with permanent displays, with Droste soon to be able to work Let’s expect young people in pairs at least. With luck, something may be shown in June.
“Rand oder Spitz” will be on stream from February 14 (6 pm) schauspielfrankfurt.de
