Everyman in the courtyard of the Alvensleben Barracks: Strong music theater in Cottbus

An open-air evening about brilliance, transience, and the great question of the essential

With Everyman - A Musical Learning to Die, the Cottbus State Theater brings a classic of theater history to the courtyard of the Alvensleben Barracks as contemporary music theater. The direction by Tomo Sugao combines Hofmannsthal's material with the musical signature of Wolfgang Böhmer and the libretto by Peter Lund into an intense stage experience between festival, fall, and realization.

A material that resonates for more than a century

Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Everyman is considered one of the most powerful theater materials in the German-speaking repertoire. In Cottbus, it does not become a museum-like memory image, but a contemporary play about possession, guilt, love, and finitude. The presence of the text lies in the sharpening: when a person is thrown back on themselves, money, power, and societal brilliance lose their comforting surface.

Musical force meets precise dramaturgy

Wolfgang Böhmer and Peter Lund condense the historical material into a musical that does not politely circle its themes but exposes them with theatrical clarity. The dramaturgy leads from the roaring life into the quiet confrontation with death. Figures like God, the Devil, Mammon, and the Good Works appear as allegories, yet they do not seem abstract but like mirrors of a soul in an exceptional state. Therein lies the strength of this production: it does not diminish the old material but brings it closer.

The courtyard of the Alvensleben Barracks as a venue with atmosphere

The courtyard of the Alvensleben Barracks provides a special theater atmosphere for this summer theater. Open air, under the open sky, the events gain additional tension: light, evening air, and the open architecture frame the scenes like a living proscenium. The audience experiences the drama not only as spectators but almost as co-witnesses in the same space. The performance lasts about 2 hours and 10 minutes, including a break.

Direction, ensemble, and the art of the grand picture

House director Tomo Sugao relies on an interpretation that strongly charges the piece as the culmination of a theater season. The stage by Paul Zoller, the costumes by Carola Volles, and the musical direction by Johannes Zurl create a framework in which acting art, choral sound, and musical intensification intertwine. The result promises not a distant classic care, but an immediate music theater with emotional presence.

Who particularly benefits from this theater evening

Those who appreciate stage art with existential depth will find an evening here that reaches far beyond the known material. The interplay of open-air venue, musical dynamics, and literary source makes the performance an event for culture enthusiasts who seek not only entertainment but also thoughtful and sensual condensation in the theater.

Conclusion: Everyman - A Musical Learning to Die promises an intense evening between festivity and abyss, between poetic tradition and contemporary tone. Those who want to experience music theater in summer in a special atmosphere should see this Cottbus performance live.

Official channels of the Cottbus State Theater:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staatstheatercottbus
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StaatstheaterCottbus
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StaatstheaterCottbus
• Website: https://www.staatstheater-cottbus.de/

Sources:

• Cottbus State Theater - Everyman - A Musical Learning to Die
• Cottbus State Theater - Summer Theater in the Barracks Courtyard
• Cottbus State Theater - Tickets and Subscriptions
• Cottbus State Theater - Tomo Sugao
• Theaterkompass - Cottbus State Theater Social Media
• miz - Cottbus State Theater
• The German Stage - Review of Everyman