A spectacular journey through the 20th century. This sensitive play honors the life and work of one of Germany’s most significant poets: Mascha Kaléko. Told exclusively through her own words, full of melancholy and humor, political sharpness, and captivating poetry, it draws the audience in completely.
The turbulent life of the witty Berlin poet takes her from the bustling Berlin of the 1920s and 1930s to post-war New York, the troubled Jerusalem, and back to post-war Europe: On the night before her death on January 21, 1975, Mascha Kaléko tosses and turns in bed. Memories swirl around her, preventing her from sleeping. She looks back on a life in which Berlin played a key role. The city left such a profound mark on Kaléko that she was never able to recover from the loss of her chosen homeland after being forced to emigrate. The play invites us to remember and also draws startling parallels to the present. Biographical poems and letter fragments from Kaléko’s estate recount her radiant years, as well as the blows of fate that she faced with longing and stubborn humor. The radical decision to tell Kaléko’s life solely through her literary works gives the play an authentic and unparalleled intimacy.
A moving evening of theater for all those who have already embraced Kaléko’s timeless and vibrant poetry in their hearts, but also for those who are entering her world for the first time.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the author's death, there will be two more dates in January after the November premiere. ----MASCHA KALÉKO rose to become a shining star in the Berlin literary scene in the early 1930s. A sharp thinker with a tongue as cutting as her pen, she was forced to leave Germany. Long forgotten, Kaléko’s poems are now being revived. Timelessly beautiful. Like the embrace of a long-lost friend.