Director Mira Stadler has now dramatized and simplified this once again for Landestheater St. Pölten. In order to condense 300 pages into 100 minutes, I deleted the beginning and end – except for the sentence that says Christiane is 62, even if she insists on looking 54.
The book's own running gag—there are additional or corrective footnotes from Rösinger every ten pages—is lost in the first viewing. Stadler included the marked notes typographically beyond recognition. Unfortunately, she did not correct Ruholt's proofreading. That's why he says in Pifkin: “I'm supposed to teach at a college, even though I don't even have a high school diploma.” With ADHD, that's what all creative people do now.”
Ugly for sure
The theatrical workshop experience report is presented the way it is done today: four people in bright costumes and yellow wigs (one reminds us of Dolly Parton) run like frightened chickens through the decidedly ugly wooden imitation saloon setting (by Jenny Schleif) and take turns playing the part Steffi, always facing the audience.
Laura Laufenberg, Doris Hendinger, Tobias Artner and Julian Tszentke enthusiastically play many other characters. They move in slow motion, play practical jokes and look dazed, dance to Beyoncé's “Texas Hold 'Em” and sing “My Boyfriend Broke Up With Me.” Ennio Morricone is not to be missed either. Suddenly the review ended: “This was a beautiful, harmless Iowa ready-to-wear outfit.”
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