Weakness is not a word in German
Mein Gott! What an incredible turn of events! I found
out last night that my boyfriend bought a ticket to visit me in Berlin in August AND
that I
was
named CCPA's Presser Undergraduate Scholar for 2012-2013. Needless to say I have not slept in the last 30 something hours or so. Im too busy blissing out on an extremely high vibration.
Aber! I have not updated my blog in a few days so I must deliver the facts! I spent a few days at The German History Museum (it is ENORMOUS) and The Modern Art Museum, saw my first Opera in Berlin (astounding), discovered East Berlin by bike with Jane, visited some art openings and famous cafes near the UDK campus, attended some public viewings of the World Cup and met new friends!
I bought a ticket for The Staats Opera's production of Brecht and Hindemith's,
Lehrstück. Not realizing that The Staat's Opera's under construction signs meant that there were to be no performances in that space (I pretended I understood the woman who sold me the ticket when she told me exactly this....) I arrived an hour early to the Opera to find out from a taxi that all performances are now at Schiller Theater...which is a 30 minute car ride from the Staats Oper...After declining his Taxi service he gave me completely incorrect directions to the Schiller Theater, which I immediately dismissed. I partook in my map seance and rode my bike furiously, for an hour straight, to the Schiller Theater. I rode so fast I scared other bikers, who yelled German things, which I couldn't understand, at me the whole way. I think this is the wonderful thing about having elementary language skills. I can't be offended if I can't understand you. So I am usually untouched by snide remarks.
I arrived a few minutes late to the Opera, worried I would have to wait for intermission. (I learned after arriving exactly on time to the Berlin Phil and being turned away that punctuality is a pillar in German society.) To my delight, the usher lead me to a door and waited for a cue then said "you must sit at the table"....okay....interesting. Whatever, I deserve it, Im late... and a sweaty mess. Then she opened the door to what was....the stage....This was all very disorienting. But I clearly understood, "sit at the table"..so I did. I soon realized that the entire audience was on the stage. The opera happened around us. One chorus member sat right next to me, pointing to the lyrics on the flat screen and urging me to sing all of the chorus numbers. ???????? This is a legit Opera company mind you. The experience was incredible. One chorus member (role: chef) passed out vodka in shot glasses....the entire show. I assumed it was water....no one passes out liquor during a performance of an opera like that....so I playfully grabbed two glasses from his tray and downed them (being thirsty from the bike ride) before I realized it was...what tasted like rubbing alcohol (im not a drinker...that would be my first vodka experience)...at first I was worried I drank the wrong prop....Then the bizarre choreography of the performance elevated and I realized...This is Brecht and Hindemith...In Berlin....Anything can happen. And pretty much everything did.
The whole performance was a dialogue, directed at the audience. We were all invited to join in on everything. Even after the performance all the musicians stayed behind and engaged in discussions with audience members. My mind is officially blown and all my expectations of the theater and music scene here surpassed infinitely. I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE! I am so happy to find a group of people who feel art should be dialogue! not just "superstar" prancing around on stage for adoring mindless zombies. Zombies on both sides.
Im excited for more Opera experiences to come!
The tables where the audience sat...The piano and behind the piano a small chamber group and conductor..
My seat...All the tables had games which the chorus members played with us...oh and those are my vodka shots
More of the stage
Berlin Apfel Strudel
NAPOLEON'S HAT! at the German history Museum.
Most Museums do not allow you to take photographs so I cannot share a lot of the amazing things I have seen...but I will say that I have never been in love with Modern art...until I came to Berlin. I am now a completely devoted loyalist to modern art.... Hans Haacke has been a personal favorite of what I have seen so far in the city....