Intrigue and Love. In the Middle Kingdom

The Chinese love Schiller. The German classic author has been held in high esteem there for decades. To them, Schiller is THE poet of freedom. His dramas are required reading in schools. In Beijing, there is a Schiller Bar and several Schiller restaurants. No other European poet has achieved such prominence there. No other poet’s work is so closely tied to the country’s history as Schiller’s: during the struggle against the Japanese invaders in the 1930s, “William Tell,” with its famous apple-shooting scene, served as a source of courage. During the Cultural Revolution, Schiller was condemned as a revisionist. A writer who called for freedom of thought in his plays was banned. After Mao’s death, the poet experienced a renaissance, and young Chinese women saw Luise Millerin as a role model. For Schiller’s birthday in November 2009, numerous symposia are being held, his works are being newly translated, and his plays are being staged across the country.

A highlight of this is the guest performance by the Meiningen Theatre, the only German theater performing in China for the playwright’s 250th birthday. The Meiningen ensemble will fly to Beijing on November 8 with actors, costumes, sets, and technicians to perform “Intrigue and Love” on November 10 — right on his birthday. This is the very play that was written in Bauerbach near Meiningen. Afterward, the ensemble will continue on to Shanghai and Xi’an. It’s a massive undertaking, one that reconnects the theater with its own history: after all, the Meiningen Court Theatre was one of the first ensembles in the 19th century to tour throughout Europe.

We follow the theater’s preparations for this spectacular tour, watching as entire stage sets are packed up and shipped to China. We’re there on November 10 when the Meiningen ensemble celebrates Schiller’s birthday together with the people of Beijing. Through this guest tour, we capture China’s Schiller mania on camera.