Just a week after our last performance of The Forest, we already had our annual meet and greet for this new production and another week later, we held open auditions for the roles. Many new students joined our group and then we already started rehearsals and the stage and costume design processes for Marian. As always, we had a rehearsal week just before the spring semester started, as well as several rehearsal and stage building weekends. While there was more time pressure than usual, because of the previous production’s delays due to the pandemic, we still successfully managed to have our performances at Theatersaal on Campus Irchel at the end of April. We had five performances and they were a full success, with more than 100 people attending each night. Our audiences seemed to enjoy the modern and comedic version of the Robin Hood tale, which tackled queer and gender issues, as we got lots of positive feedback. It was once again a truly collaborative effort: the departments of costume design, directing, music, marketing, and stage design all worked together to make the actors on stage look as good as possible.
About the Play
Described as a “gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale” the play tells the story of Maid Marian, alias Robin Hood, and her merry, forest-dwelling, poorly named crew “The Merry Men” (who are definitely not all men). This wacky ensemble is caught between struggling to provide for the poor by stealing from Prince John and dealing with their own personal turmoils, exploring themes of friendship, love and the LGBTQ+ experience.
About the Author
Adam Szymkowicz is an American play- wright who has written numerous plays that have been performed on stages across the world. He received a Playwright’s Diploma from The Juilliard School’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and an MFA from Columbia University, where he was the Dean’s Fellow. Szymkowicz is a two- time Lecomte du Nouy Prize winner and a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Writer’s Guild of America.
Cast
Robin/Marian – Eliza Eckhart
Alanna – Selina Forrer
Little John – David Müller
Will Scarlett – Jana Eberle
Tommy of No Consequence – Emily Rushton
Much – Mickey Warren
Prince John – Guido Marinoni
Lucy – Selina Forrer
Shirley – Naomi Schenkel
Sheriff of Nottingham – Noemi Shavit
Friar Tuck – William Jones
Sir Lenny – Pascale Albrecht
Sir Theo – Melina Jobbins
Crew
Director – Isabel Schmidt
Assistant Directors – Sinja Bucher
Jay Dürig
Alex Schulz
Producer – Pascale Albrecht
General Assistant – Carmen Aeschbacher
Treasurer – Ladina Mauchle
Head of Stage – Ren Schnüriger
Stage Crew – Lara Giannini
Leonie Lalive
Noah Lang
Marion Meyers
Holly Werner
Lighting Technician – Raziya Zharmakhan
Head of Marketing – Fernando Nunes Borba
Photography – Letícia Peredo
Antony Brogly
Videography – Yakine Raach
Graphic Design – Nadia Hofmann
Social Media – Robin Künzler
Jennifer Gasser
Co-Heads of Costume – Lux Katharina Züst
Melina Jobbins
Costume Crew – Wilmari Claasen
Gian-Luca Kuoni
Lilith Frey
Masha Korobeynikova
Ladina Mauchle
Head of Music – Cédric Stüssi
Music Crew – Carmen Aeschbacher
(Co-Composer)
Ann Thompson (Clarinet)
Nico Wolf (Guitar)
Sofia Vassere (Ukulele)
Rahel Koller (Violin)
Allie Voigt (Recorder)
Georgina Ford (Flute)
Noah Gmür (Piano)
Blueprint Masquerades 