Berlin Engagements

The afternoon of the first show with Nina Hagen I arrived at the Theatre am Schiffbauerdamm, checked in with security, and went inside. I had a chance to explore, and so I went to  see the stage. I had been to the theatre the previous year to see Die Dreigroschenoper. Now I was able to see the theatre from another perspective. I noticed a large cut-out circle on the stage floor. It was the revolving stage used in Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. The following is a description from the Berliner Ensemble website.

     "1954 The extended revolving stage now runs on 32 wheels of a Soviet T-34 tank, which Helene Weigel has talked the Soviet occupying forces into supplying. https://www.berliner-ensemble.de/en/node/67"

I shared a dressing room with Nina's mom, Eva Maria Hagen. Our conversations were in German. She had been a very well known film actress and was also a good dramatic singer. Marie Biermann sang what has become one of my favorite songs, "Remembering Marie A.", about an early love of Brecht's. Nina decided that my marionette would be "the Spirit of Meister Brecht". 

      We were onstage for the entire performance, during which he remained in character. During "Mackie Messer" ("Mack the Knife"), he interacted with Nina, all improv. She was accompanied by a custom made Leierkasten or barrel organ which was programmed to play the song. In the original 1928 production of 'Die Dreigroschenoper' ('The Threepenny Opera') the song was introduced by actor Kurt Gerron, who had appeared in the film 'The Blue Angel' with Marlene Dietrich. During the Second World War, Gerron was forced to direct propaganda films in a concentration camp, which he never had the good fortune to leave. 'Mack the Knife was first heard on the very same stage, and was accompanied by a Leierkasten.

-Harry Mayronne, 2024