Stranger than the Moon at the Kurtheater: Brecht's Song Evening Conquers Bad Kissingen

Stranger than the Moon: Brecht's Life as a Scenic Song Evening at the Kurtheater

An evening between chanson, theater poetry, and contemporary history: The Berliner Ensemble traces the artistic biography of Bertolt Brecht in Stranger than the Moon. Songs by Eisler and Dessau are accompanied by poems, letters, and prose – a musically-dramatic collage that embodies audience reaction and theater atmosphere.

A Brecht Kaleidoscope with Voice and Body

The direction by Oliver Reese interweaves songs, verses, and notes into a dense stage score. Katharine Mehrling and Paul Herwig guide as two alter egos through Brecht's life phases: Departure in Augsburg and Berlin, exile, return. The acting remains precise, the tone shifts between jagged and tender – carried by live music under Adam Benzwi.

Acoustics, Light, Proximity: a Concentrated Stage Experience

1 hour and 50 minutes without a break focus the gaze on text, sound, and body. The stage design by Hansjörg Hartung frames the scene clearly; Elina Schnizler's costumes accentuate shifts in time. Warm light shapes intimate play islands, the acoustics allow Eisler's lines to shimmer – an evening that sharpens the senses.

Drama with Attitude

The collage is arranged not chronologically, but meaningfully. Thus, Brecht's web of thoughts becomes tangible: love and work, war and exile, return and finitude. This does not create a nostalgic portrait, but a contemporary reading that projects Brecht's questions into our present.

Press Voices as a Quality Seal

Renowned literary supplements praised the evening as an exhilarating Brecht revue and a triumphant success for Katharine Mehrling – a strong signal for all those seeking great stage art.

Conclusion

A pointed staging, precise acting, and a dense, musically driven narrative are expected. Experience Brecht as a spark fly between song and literature – live at the Kurtheater Bad Kissingen.

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Sources:

• Berliner Ensemble – Production Stranger than the Moon
• Berliner Ensemble – Magazine article on the Brecht Kaleidoscope
• Berliner Ensemble – Production (English) with cast/crew
• Badische Zeitung Ticket – Date Kurtheater Bad Kissingen 07.07.2026
• termine.de – Berliner Ensemble Stranger than the Moon 7.7. and 8.7.2026
• Kissinger Sommer – Program Note 2026
• Kissinger Sommer – Accessibility of Venues
• City of Bad Kissingen – Parking in the city area, parking garage at the Kurtheater
• Main-Post Dates – Venue Kurtheater