"Spiel der Temperamente" – A performance by the Steinfuß Theater

On Friday, June 09, 2023, the Steinfuß Theater ended the premiere of its play "Spiel der Temperamente - frei nach Johann Nestroy" to a standing ovation. With a total of more than 360 guests in K2's underground lecture hall at Keplerstrasse 17, the performance is one of the Steinfuß Theater's largest projects. The premier was followed by two more, equally successful performances on June 10 and 11, 2023.

The exhibition added a touch of color to the entrance area in front of the underground lecture hall. The collaboration with the University of Stuttgart's Photography Working Group allowed the creation of a fantastic photo exhibition on the subject of temperaments. With over 40 pictures, the photography group artistically depicted four temperaments: With changing color arrangements and objects in different positions and with different backgrounds, the same chair was able to transform into a sanguine, a phlegmatic, a choleric or a melancholic temperament. Not only were the actors photographed in their roles, but individual motifs were also taken up and thematically staged. In the auditorium, the images were then brought to life by the actors of the Steinfuß Theater.

The Temperaments project started under the direction of Nicole Schütte in October 2022. It quickly became clear that it would include the play "House of Temperaments" by Johann Nestroy. But after initial glimpses into the individual dialogues, a desire grew to set the play in the present, with contemporary depictions of society and relationships, free of outdated structures such as social classes. Working closely together, director Nicole Schütte and student Charlie Kuhn reworked the play and created something entirely their own: The "Spiel der Temperamente". The piece came to life during the rehearsal process and ideas from the ensemble were able to flow in and take full shape through improvisations. As a result, the piece became a project that was close to the heart of each group member in every way.

The Steinfuß Theater would like to thank everyone involved in the production, the Center for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning (ZLW) for its active support, and the Photography Working Group for their fantastic cooperation. The event was also an experiment for the Center for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, a new format that was well-received by the audience and, according to Daiva Sell, supervisor of student groups and study groups at ZLW one that will continue in the coming year.