ONE DIRECTOR. 3 DIFFERENT SHOWS.

THOMAS OSTERMEIER. In the past two weeks, I’ve seen three of his productions. Tonight Jase & I rushed tickets for Die kleinen Fuchse (The Little Foxes”) by Lillian Hellman. After seeing two Ostermeier productions, I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting myself into— modern & re-interpreted text; live video projections; fourth wall shattered to pieces; nudity…

I’ve seen two of his shows—I know his shtick—

Whilst Hellman’s play takes place in the all-American south circa early 1900’s, Ostermeier’s production, adapted by Florian Borchmeyer takes place in modern day bourgeois Berlin. The fourth-wall is upheld with no video cameras in sight. The stage setting was smart and sleek—dark leather furniture, a grand piano and an ominous metal staircase. The upstage wall opens and reveals the brightly lit dining room. Everything onstage had a purpose and supported the action and conflict onstage.

Ostermeier’s an amazing director. He creates theatre that’s honest—to both the writer and the text. What’s at the heart of the play? He strives to illuminate the dark and desperate truth—a universal truth that needs no language.

So then what is Ostermeier’s trademark? The illumination of humanity? Can that even define his style? DO I need to categorize his work? I have so many questions…