„Peace to the Hats – War to the Baseball Caps“

 

Since the fall semester of 2014, our school, now known as „Zentrum für Inklusiv- und Sonderpädogogik 10“ (ZIS 10) has been taking part in a thespian art project together with the „Neue Mittelschule Leibnizgasse“ (NMS). Every tuesday, a total of 20 pupils meet either at NMS or ZIS 10 to develop and rehearse a theatrical play. The project is managed and directed by Mr. Raphael Protiwensky-Schenk, who studied dramatics and journalism at the University of Vienna, Austria.

 

Objectives:

 

· use of creative language

· encourage phantasy and creativity

· invention of dramatic characters and stories

· strengthen ego

· stimulate group dynamics processes

· collaborate on scripts

· learn theatrical breathing and agility

· generally, convey theater as a cultural form of art

 

Partner Theater:

 

The Festspiele Berndorf in Berndorf, Austria, just south of Vienna, directed by popular TV actress Kristina Sprenger (star of “SOKO Kitzbühel”), is engaged as official partner to our project, offering the opportunity to perform on a real stage at the Stadttheater in Berndorf, which is definitely an extraordinary challenge for the young participants.

 

Rehearsals:

 

The children learn to act out emotions, to listen to one another and to experience the joy of working together on stage in a playful atmosphere.They develop their own scripts, invent choreographical sketches and work on the props and costumes together. The children are provided with a basic concept, but it is they who “put the meat on the bones,” so to speak.

 

Plot:

 

A group of young people get together every week at “Club SOWIESO” (ANYHOW Club), where they dance, sing and keep in touch with their friends. One fine day, however, the group gets divided up into two groups. From then on, namely, half of them show up in formal hats, while the other half wind up wearing baseball caps. But none of them know where the hats or baseball caps came from. All of a sudden they were just there, out of the clear blue sky. Even though it would seem possible to take one’s hat or cap off or trade the one for the other, everyone defends the original, seemingly chance hat or cap placement to his and her teeth.

 

All this is to vividly demonstrate the absurdity of various conflicts (and wars) and to promote collateral analysis and effort to find mutually satisfying solutions.

 

Showings:

 

The Première took place at the elementary school in the Jagdgasse in Vienna on May 12, 2015. The next performance is scheduled for May 28, 2015 at Stadttheater Berndorf.