Authenticity! That’s what is very important to her players, says director Barbara Betz with a little chuckle. She refers to the dumplings with cabbage, which play an impressive role in the new play by Pleaninga Theaterbagasch and are only imaginarily present at the rehearsal this Monday evening. In the total of eight performances from January 5th, on the other hand, there will be real food. “They really have to eat it then!”
Authenticity, on the other hand, is almost certainly not the reason why Anton Holzner embodies the “electric vehicle”. Although in real life the man is actually “Electromoasta”. In fact, says the first chairman of the theater association, he is the one you cast “when you need something crazy, a dork or someone with a speech impediment. Or even someone who speaks High German”. The 41-year-old, who has been at the theater bagash does not do in the current piece “s’Elädrische” when he marches onto the stage with a gray overall, glasses, flat cap, briefcase and an oversized plan. So with the insignia of the official from the early 1920s he embodies. At a time when electricity was of exotic magnitude and by no means found its way into every household, let alone a small Bavarian village.
However, young farmer Sixt Vorreitner (Franz Wutz), a pioneer in matters of the future, was persuaded by cattle handler Girgl (Thomas Frank) to install it. In doing so, he energetically asserted himself against the old farmer’s wife (Sabine Kettenstock), who is absolutely against the “envious show”.
Now it’s happening: S’Elädrische is really coming!
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
The rest of the residents of the Einödhof don’t really know what to make of the whole thing at first. This applies to the servants Ignaz (Andreas Grübl), Korbinian (Benno Burghart) and the Schürzenjäger, Rossknecht Wast (Seppe Bauer-Eberhart), as well as to the two maids Mirl (Rebecca Meckl) and Vroni (Karo Eberhart) as well as Leni, the The farmer’s sister (Lisa Konrad-Lohner), who is still looking for a suitable groom. The only one who really seems to know his stuff is the Scherfanger.
At this point, a small note for non-Bavarians: Scher-Fanger is by no means the proper name of Günther Schuler junior’s congenially embodied, changeable, but incredibly funny and likeable oddball, but his job title. He’s a mole hunter – as you can see in the program booklet and also during the game through an interwoven explanation. He is now allowed to express to the courtiers what is really meant by “s’Elädrische”: “Something unbelievable. Something unimaginable. Something erroneous.”
The listeners in the scene are really impressed – and so is you. This complete ensemble exudes so much fervor, so much power of persuasion, so much irrepressible joy in playing that one feels great pleasure even as a newcomer. Even if you don’t understand every single word.
The Theaterbagasch has around 140 members
The enthusiasm for action probably also explains the success of the troupe for at least 45 years – the association has existed since 1977, from 1996 under the name theater bagash. If you look closely, the affinity for amateur drama has existed in the community for much longer: according to the chronicle, the first performances took place in what is now the Forchhammer country inn as early as 1886. It is quite possible that the cohesion within the group and the fun in the joint performance and in the “7th act”, the subsequent drink on stage, were decisive for the inflow to the club. Which leads to the impressive number of members of around 140 people today, as Holzner reports, but of course not all of them play all the time.
Everyone contributes, everyone takes their job very seriously, everyone helps together. Anyone who wants to see first whether acting suits him or her can try out small one-act plays at the “Bunte Bühne”, which takes place regularly between the “big” performances. Anyone who doesn’t like being in the spotlight will find another job. And when it comes to procuring the props, the whole family has to be involved: For a “Lord’s angle” that is still needed – in addition to Jesus on the cross, you also need a picture of the deceased maternal grandfather and the aunt “God bless her” Anni ” – in the “Stube”, freshly painted with combined forces, the director has already spoken to Holzner’s wife, who in turn has put her sisters-in-law on the matter.
Director Barbara Betz has everything under control.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
It’s already a bit pressing: After the first reading rehearsals and practice of the paths took place at the beginning of November, and the stage was set up in mid-December, people now meet three times a week for rehearsals in the community center so that everything is in place for the premiere on January 5th . Souffleuse Barbara Eder isn’t superfluous yet, but it’s already becoming very clear what director Betz means when she says: “Over the years I’ve noticed that the group has become more demanding, wants more – and is producing a performance that you can imagine 15 years would not have thought.”
The troupe’s ability is now demonstrated in a play by Peter Landstorfer. The lawyer and author with his own stage writes a new work every year, several of which have already been shown in Pliening. The current one dates back to 1996 and should have been performed around 20 years ago.
Was not only responsible for the fortunes of the association as first chairman for a good 40 years, but also (and still is) as a trained carpenter also for the stage design: Markus Burgmair.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
But that was not possible because one of the other theater associations in the area had already chosen the play. Markus Burgmair, chairman for a good 40 years, says that at the time they didn’t want to get in each other’s way – just as they would never take actors away from each other – “we’re not like football players”.
Of course, the hall with room for 300 people should be just as crowded as the stadium. There, viewers could then revel in the effects of the much-praised progress. Which is sometimes illustrated onomatopoeically with “tsch-pff, tsch-pff, tsch-pff”. Everyone can then decide for themselves whether “s’Elädrische” really makes everything so much better. Some things have already sold out in advance, but there are still tickets.
Finally, an important question: who takes care of the dumplings? Barbara Betz is quite hopeful in this regard: “Either one of the ladies will take care of it or there will be a noble donation from a local butcher.”
The premiere of the Bavarian comedy “s’Elädrische” will take place on Thursday, January 5th at 7:30 p.m. in the Plieninger Bürgerhaus. Other dates are January 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th and 14th. Tickets for 10 euros by phone (08121) 409 23 or at the box office.