Der Lauf des Lebens

In the world of competitive sports, the focus is on consistently delivering high performance, striving for improvement, and pushing one's own boundaries. In our digital society, the principle of self-optimization is also ever-present, and ordinary people often feel a similar pressure to that experienced by athletes. In the commissioned work by the Salzburg State Theatre, the phenomenon of performance expectations is exemplified through the life stories of some athletes, and it narrates the associated moments of happiness, hopes, and pains.

Hanna and Lena are twins and belong to the best runners of their generation. Tyrolean athlete Franz is the hope of his hometown for the World Cup, and figure skater Anna has already won several international competitions. Now, they are all going through a performance slump and seek out fitness guru Thomas, who has a reputation for being able to heal athletes' souls in his yoga retreat. And then there's Herbert, the custodian, who enjoys sports only through television and has his own unique concept of work-life balance.

Marco Dott has been a member of the acting ensemble and a director at the State Theatre since 2009. He also led the Young Land division for four years. He worked on the text adaptations for many of his productions, including "The Flying Classroom" based on Erich Kästner with music by Katrin Schweiger. Together, they create "Der Lauf des Lebens," a pointed play with music, known in professional terms as a Concept Musical, which sensitively, touchingly, and entertainingly explores the theme of self-optimization.

Katrin Schweiger has been the house composer and director of theater music at the State Theatre since the 2022 season. Her catalog of works includes over 50 compositions and several orchestrations, covering film music, theater music, contemporary concert music, as well as popular rock, pop, and jazz music. At the Salzburg State Theatre, she created the music for "The Flying Classroom" and "The NeverEnding Story."

Durarion: 2 hours with one intermission

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