Take a work of philosophy so bleak it makes even Nietzsche seem compassionate and turn it into a musical theater piece. Sounds like a bold move, right? But it’s exactly what theater director Sebastian Hartmann has done with Der Einzige und sein Eigentum, his latest play premiering at the Deutsches Theater this Sunday (04.09.2022). Based on 19th century philosopher Max Stirner’s eponymous book (known in English as “The Ego and Its Own”), this grand genre-busting performance blends stage acting, videos, 3D projections and music by Grammy-nominated PC Nackt with thrilling results. The inspiration for the piece is Stirner’s radical ideas he presents in his 1844 book. The world, he believes, is an anarchist place where people lead purely ego-driven lives unbound by things like conscience or societal commitment. It’s easy to think today’s society is moving ever closer to Stirner’s cynical vision. If it indeed is, then it’s all the more reason to head to the Deutsches Theater and see Hartmann’s opulent, all-singing, all-dancing portrayal of it.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Arno Declair
Deutsches Theater, Schumannstr.13A, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
Der Einzige und sein Eigentum premieres 04.09.2022 – tickets are available online.
@deutschestheaterberlin
