Performance review of the play: EVERYTHING IS FULL OF GODS

WS24 Studi(o)bühne, a piece written by Elliot Musche.

In October last year, Elliot Musche brought his self-written piece "Everything is Full of Gods" to the Studi(o)bühne together with his theatre ensemble. For ninety minutes, the production offered insight into a fictional future, far removed from our Mother Earth.

On the Dyson sphere we meet Harland and Aura, two people in search of answers. Philosophical questions accompany the plot and are thrown at the audience. We already encounter them in the flyer in the blurb: what remains for humanity when it has everything but feels nothing anymore? 

Harland Magnus (played by Korinna Wenzel) and Aura (played by Carlotte Gunia) , as the only humans and an unhappy couple on the Dyson sphere, increasingly lose their connection to one another. 

Surrounded by robots that can process and recognise emotions but cannot themselves feel or understand them, both individuals attempt to find their place in the emptiness of space. Yet they are not alone. Gods intervene, visit the Dyson sphere and begin to cast the entire scene in an even more grotesque light in an interesting way. They play their roles without seemingly wanting to interfere in the action. 

A dance choreography at the beginning introduces the piece. 

Both the set design team and the work of Daniel Fürbacher, who was responsible for the technical side, as well as the costume team demonstrated creativity. The blunted, sterile black and white tones of the Dyson sphere meet the colourful, medieval garments of the gods. Thus a visible contrast was created, which visually reflects the different nuances of the story. A variety of feelings, packaged in colourful and beautiful colours, meets the bare, brutal coldness of inner emptiness – which was conveyed outwardly both by some of the robots and by Aura's white, stiff costume. Particularly the yellow Apollo (played by Celin Kratzsch) stood out from the crowd with his yellow costume and convinced the audience by the middle of the piece at the latest with his talent for dancing.

The plot managed to escalate scene by scene. In the following narrative, the audience is on tenterhooks with the desperate Harland as he attempts to grow close to his beloved again, whilst she faces making a final decision. In order to completely erase her pain from the past, she decides to transform into a robot. Harland – striving with all his persuasive power to dissuade her – ultimately fails. 

Korinna Wenzel can only be praised for her performance as Harland Magnus – she created a bridge between stage and audience and allowed people to feel the pain and desperation of her role. The nervous breakdown she portrayed can be described as one of the highlights of the piece. The applause that followed for the actress at the end made clear the audience's shared enthusiasm.

Some inconsistencies also run through the piece. Questions about the characters and their relationships or intentions remain unanswered until the end. Some of these, though not all, are answered and become clearer in the final scenes through a glimpse into the past. The others largely fall under personal interpretation. The final words that the audience heard had an impact. The robot Mielle-V7, who throughout the entire story manically attempts to find access to her own feelings and worldly beauty, kneels on the stage floor and speaks: 

"You died because you felt too much? I understand you." 

Mielle-V7, played by Kathi Schricker, concluded in a fantastic way the gripping story of her own role and at the same time a very emotional piece. Her role too was later praised again in the form of great applause. 

Elliot Musche writes plays that provoke thought. Together with his co-director Kristina Katzenberger he has succeeded once again this season in putting fictional scenarios with philosophical questions about life on the table – and adorning them with his text and the allusions hidden within it from various areas of literature, philosophy and history. 

Musche experiments and works closely with his theatre ensemble. His self-written plays always reliably send the audience away with material for conversation and reflection. The stories he has presented so far in his pieces are interesting, unique and finally something new and above all original – rather than something old and retold. A strong recommendation for anyone who wants to see something they have certainly never seen before. 

– written by Hannah Lehmann 

Side note: 

Anyone who would like to learn more about the work behind the scenes as well as gain insight into the author's own writing process and inspirations can delve deeper into the Interview with Elliot Musche – on writing your own plays . Also published on 27.01.25.