On the Other Side of the Moon

Scene photo from “On the Other Side of the Moon”: Katharina Quast stands alone against a black background. Her costume resembles a dove: a light silver dress and a white mask with a bird’s beak. Her head is tilted downward, her chin drawn to her chest. At the same time, she raises both arms upward, as if they were wings in flight. The fabric of her dress is in motion, fluttering around her body. — Katharina Quast; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from »On the Other Side of the Moon«: Three aerialists stand in the center of the stage. Together, they hold onto an aerial hoop with one arm each, their bodies upright and slightly tense. Directly behind them, a large star made of fluorescent tubes glows a bright red. Fog covers the stage floor, bathed in red light. In the background, other actors are standing all around; one of them is holding a camera. — Hans Fleischmann, Vanessa Vilchis Garcia, Gabriela Schwab Veloso, Iryna Bondarchuk, Lisa Förster, Helene Krüger, Linn Reusse; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from »On the Other Side of the Moon«: On the right, on a platform, is a band: Damian Dalla Torre on saxophone, Juli Gilde singing, and Christoph Bernewitz on electric guitar. To their left hangs a large star made of fluorescent tubes, glowing a bright purple. In the background, along the back of the stage, the women’s choir stands in a row in front of a green-lit wall. — Damen des Opernchors des Theaters und Orchesters Heidelberg, Damian Dalla Torre, Juli Gilde, Christoph Bernewitz; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from »On the Other Side of the Moon«: Vladlena Sviatash stands alone on stage. She is wearing black boots, knee-length black shorts, and a white windbreaker. A white parachute harness is strapped around her body. Behind her, a large white parachute billows out, filling the room. Vladlena Sviatash looks up desperately. — Vladlena Sviatash; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from »On the Other Side of the Moon«: Two aerialists are suspended from a ring above the floor. Gabriela Schwab Veloso is hanging upside down, holding onto the ring with the backs of her knees, and is holding onto Iryna Bondarchuk’s torso. In the background, Katharina Quast and Hans Fleischmann stand close behind one another. They watch the two aerialists. — Katharina Quast, Hans Fleischmann, Gabriela Schwab Veloso, Iryna Bondarchuk; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from »On the Other Side of the Moon«: Katharina Quast stands in the center of the stage. She raises both arms in a V-shape and looks upward. Behind her four actors stand in a niche in a gray-silver wall. They are wearing dark clothing and have their backs turned to the camera. — Hans Fleischmann, Helene Krüger, Katharina Quast, Lisa Förster, Vladlena Sviatash; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

Scene Photo from “On the Other Side of the Moon”: Two wheel gymnasts—each standing in a large wheel—roll across the stage. Both are wearing white astronaut suits that stand out clearly against the black background. Blue light reflects off the stage floor, while silver confetti falls from above and scatters through the air. — Johanna Bischof, Nils Emmerich; Photo: Susanne Reichardt

based on motives from the world of Hilde Domin

World premiere

Theatre
Marguerre-Saal

By Marcel Kohler with live music for band and choir by Christoph Bernewitz
[recommended for ages 15 and up]

Shapes wander across the stage, their paths cross and they are lost. They are all restless, without roots. They might live in a strange city. They might live on the other side of the moon. These are motives taken from the works of Hilde Domin.

Forced to live in exile by the Nazis, she found her home in words. Her poetry reflects on resistance by finding the courage to renew things that were lost. After 22 years in exile, Hilde Domin returns to Heidelberg in 1954, where she would become one of the most important poets of the post-war period.

Based on the art of her words, director Marcel Kohler develops a string of scenic miniatures, a panorama of leaving and staying, the poetry in everything and a life »among acrobats and birds«. Kohler combines elements from theatre, concerts, live painting, circus and the art of Andreas Felger, Hilde Domin's long-time artistic companion. A stage curtain designed by him will be seen for the first time in this production. An evening that will get »under the skin of your heart«.

Content notes

This production is accompanied by a programme from the Arts & Education team.

Direction

Marcel Kohler

Composition and Musical Direction

Christoph Bernewitz

Stage Design

Torsten Gerhard Köpf

Theatre Curtain

Andreas Felger

Costume Design

Anne Schartmann

Lighting Design

Karsten Rischer

Live painting and video

Linn Reusse

Video operator

Kathrin Krottenthaler

Choir Rehearsals

Florian Daniel

Dramaturgy

Deborah Raulin Orina Vogt

Music Theatre Education

Mareike Schneider

With

Hans Fleischmann Lisa Förster Helene Krüger Katharina Quast Linn Reusse Vladlena Sviatash

Guitar, Sampler

Christoph Bernewitz

Bass clarinet, saxophone, flute, synths

Damian Dalla Torre

Vocals, Guitar

Juli Gilde

Aerial acrobatics

Iryna Bondarchuck Vanessa Vilchis Garcia Gabriela Schwab Veloso

Rhönrad gymnasts

Johanna Bischof Nils Emmerich

Damen des Opernchors des Theaters und Orchesters Heidelberg Statisterie des Theaters und Orchesters Heidelberg

Assistant Director

Tjark Piepenburg, Gabriel Gnädinger

Stage Manager

Joris Freisinger

Soufflage

Sara Eichhorn

Assistant Stage Design

Judith Grätzer

Costume Assistant

Lena Eibl

Direction Hospitanz

Sistine Marie Croneiß, Sofia Kik

Stage Design Hospitanz

Florian Raab

Costume Hospitanz

Hannah Keller

The production of the decorative parts is carried out in the workshops of the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg.

A complete list of all employees of the technical departments involved can be found here.

Listen to an introduction by Deborah Raulin and Orina Vogt (in German) here.

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Trailer by Siegersbuschfilm

Domins Werk scheine »heller zu strahlen denn je«, freut sich Heribert Vogt in der Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (20. April 2026) über die von Regisseur Marcel Kohler »spektakulär in Szene« gesetzte und »vielschichtige« »Hommage«. Der Theaterabend sei so »facettenreich« wie »beklemmend-begeisternd« – für Menschen ohne Vorwissen, aber auch für literarisch Interessierte, die »Leben und Werk Domins hier sinnlich aus neuen Perspektiven erfahren« könnten. Für die »einzigartige Würdigung« gab es »langen, jubelnden Applaus!«.

Man erlebe die »Adoptiv-Tochter der Stadt tatsächlich mit allen Sinnen«, schreibt Steffen Becker in der nachtkritik (19. April 2026). Der Theaterabend mache »Lust, mehr über Hilde Domins Leben zu erfahren und in ihr Werk einzutauchen«. Die »Kunst des Abends« läge in seiner »Übersetzungsleistung«, wenn er danach frage, was Domins Werk heute bedeute, was auch im »künstlerischen Cross-Over des Abends« sichtbar werde. »Highlight des Abends« sei die Vertonung der Gedichte durch Christoph Bernewitz und die begeisternde Umsetzung durch Damenchor und Band.

Die »besondere Herausforderung«, den »Geist ihres literarischen Schaffens« auf die Bühne zu übersetzen, sei in Marcel Kohlers Regie und der musikalischen Leitung von Christoph Bernewitz »sehr engagiert gelungen«, urteilt Helmut Orpel im Mannheimer Morgen (21. April 2026). Für die »multimediale und spartenübergreifende Collage« war deshalb der »Schlussbeifall [...] groß«.

Supported by Andreas Felger Kulturstiftung

With kind support by Freundeskreis of Theater und Orchester Heidelberg

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On the Other Side of the Moon

based on motives from the world of Hilde Domin

Necessary

Statistical

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