Charlotte Salomon – Life? or theater?
Wishful Singing and But What About jointly present the compelling musical theater performance Charlotte Salomon. Inspired by the life of German artist Charlotte Salomon, this performance takes you through a moving and visually fascinating story of loss, personal discovery and the importance of art in times of crisis.
Watch the trailer (in German):
Born in Berlin, Charlotte Salomon grew up during the threat of rising National Socialism. At twenty-two, she discovers that she has been fooled by her family for years. Her mother did not die of the flu, but committed suicide, as did – it turns out – more relatives on her mother’s side. This confession prompts a confused Charlotte to scrutinize her life up to that point in her art. For what is now true and false? She calls her project Leben? oder Theater?
Charlotte tells herself: “I can either also end my life, or do something insanely special.” So she embarks on a motley theatrical visual story about her life in the context of her family. The project grows into a work of art of more than 700 gouaches. Director Annechien Koerselman uses projections of Charlotte’s gouaches and dynamic staging to tell how a young woman manages to hold her own within challenging circumstances thanks to her art.
Steven Kamperman’s composition brings out the dynamic Berlin of the 1930s. Swinging theatrical music and popular hits of the era resound alongside the menacing noise of a changing society and Charlotte’s personal crisis.
This powerful performance celebrates the life and work of Charlotte Salomon and shows how self-expression can help us hold our own in this complex world.
Find a list of tour dates here.
Performers:
Wishful Singing
Anne-Christine Wemekamp (vocals)
Maria Goetze (vocals)
Stella Brüggen (vocals)
Marjolein Stots (vocals)
But what about
Wilco Oomkes (accordion, synthesizer, vocals)
Vincent Martig (clarinets, drums, vocals)
Benjamin de Boer (double bass)
Baritone Florian Just (vocals)
Credits
Text & gouaches – Charlotte Salomon – Jewish Museum Collection – ©Foundation Charlotte Salomon Original Translation – Judith Herzberg
Libretto – Annechien Koerselman
Composition – Steven Kamperman
Direction, video design, lighting design – Annechien Koerselman
Costumes – Stella Brüggen
More information on Charlotte Salomon’s work in a recent article in The Guardian
Collectie Joods Museum, Amsterdam
© Stichting Charlotte Salomon
