Press-release. Saratov Kiselev Youth Theater presents its new production "Kathy of Heilbronn, or Trial by Fire", the play by German playwright Heinrich von Kleist. Director - Georg Genoux (Germany).

On the 31th of May on the stage of Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theater the opening night of the performance “Kathy of Heilbronn, or Trial by Fire” on the play by German playwright Heinrich von Kleist took place.

Director – Georg Genoux (Germany),
Production designer – Emil Kapelush (St. Petersburg),
Costume designers – Yana Glushanok (St. Petersburg) and Yury Suchkov (Moscow),
Lightning design – Maya Shavdatuashvili (Moscow),
Stage plastics tutor - Vladimir Goncharov (Moscow).

During all history of Saratov Youth Theater at different periods productions based on works by great German writers, plays of the best German playwrights were staged. Cultural links with Germany were realized in many interesting creative projects in cooperation with The Goethe-Institut (Moscow). For the third time our theater worked with young German director Georg Genoux. In 2010 Georg staged a production of “Three Comrades” (play by N. Skorokhod based on E.M. Remarque’s novel). In July 2010 Georg Genoux took part in the creative laboratory “The Forth Height. Children in Adult’s World” at Saratov Youth Theater with a sketch-performance on the play by Polish modern playwright Dorota Maslowska “We’re doing fine here”. His works made a good impression on the audience and theater critics. Dorota Maslowska “We’re doing fine here” production has become a part of theater repertoire and participated at “The New Play” project on the XVII National Theater Award and Festival “The Golden Mask” in 2011.

In March 2011 Georg Genoux started his work on the production based on the play by German playwright Heinrich von Kleist “Kathy of Heilbronn, or Trial by Fire”. Heinrich von Kleist is a German playwright who worked in 18-19th century is one of the brightest examples of the late romantics in literature and his works became very timely nowadays.  

A comedy fairytale was presented to the audience. The production director saw it as one of the best magical love story ever written. It’s about love that isn’t just standing all trials, but love fighting for the right for existence in the world that rejects it.  For Kathy is a daughter of an ordinary bladesmith, she is in love with a knight, unrequitedly and hopelessly. It seems that the poor girl has no reason for hope but she has no intention of giving up and stoically endures his rude attitude towards her. Kathy performs a true miracle – winning love of her prince. It’s also important that beside Kathy’s trials, her knight lives through a rebirth – he becomes a grown-up man, earning his right to be called a knight. This romantic fantasy is an Utopia, representing our world as it should be – a world where love can change people, make them better.