It’s an endless and tiring battle: Abandoned by their mother and lied to by their father, the twin brothers Caleb and Aron Trask fight for their father’s recognition and love in “Out of Eden”. Andreas Wiedermann has adapted Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck’s novel for the stage. In the team theater he shows a heartbreaking drama about not being loved and questioning good and evil. He doesn’t need much for this, a few wooden boxes, a few props and a small cast.
Steinbeck’s work, published in 1952, ranges from the American Civil War to the end of the First World War and spans several generations. Wiedermann had to leave out a lot of things for his production; otherwise the novel would hardly be suitable for an evening at the theater. He tells the story in a disturbing way – sex and violence scenes are staged realistically – and combines them with humorous scenes in which clichés are exaggerated.
In the team theater, “East of Eden” begins with the meeting of Cathy Ames and Adam Trask. Christina Matschuss’s vengeful and manipulative Cathy initially appears fragile: with her blonde hair and red dress, she lies huddled on the floor. Matthias Lettner’s good-natured Adam Trask takes her in with him and his brother Charles, played by Simon Brüker.
Shortly afterwards, Cathy and Adam get married, they are expecting twins, whose father could also be Charles, Cathy leaves children and men. From now on, Caleb and Aaron – in the team theater William Newton and Simon Brüker – are constantly confronted with the question: Am I good or evil? Can I even be good if Cathy is my mother? The Chinese house servant Lee (Urs Klebe), Adam and Samuel Hamilton (Clemens Nicol) find the answer in the Bible: “Timschal” – everyone has the choice.
Lee is also the one with another insight: “The greatest fear that can befall a child is that of not being loved; rejection is hell. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger comes revenge for the rejection, some wrongdoing, but with the wrongdoing guilt.”
“Out of Eden”, January 18th to 20th, team theater, Tickets: www.teamtheater.de