UW/H drama group

Over 15 years ago six theatre-loving students asked Blanche Kommerell to help them enact Ionesco’s „The Bald Soprano“. Nobody had an idea of the long-term consequences of this modest start. Since then the drama group has presented an impressive number and variety of performances.

From the start the UW/H drama group was always faced with the question why amateurs – albeit ambitious - should make such an effort to enact performances which test even trained actors. And what’s more: these amateurs are students and should have enough to do without play-acting. Their spontaneous answer would be that acting is fun. So “theatre at Witten/Herdecke University” is nothing but a dilettantish pastime?

According to project leader Blanche Kommerell (UW/H teaching appointment for drama and speech since 1990), fun and games are only one aspect: ”The really important thing is that students discover their own personality, that they become part of the adventure to create from a plethora of words a performance with real people, that they investigate the playwright, and interact. Performance was the result but not the main purpose; the journey was the reward.”

Among impressive performances were classic dramas by Shakespeare, Goethe, Brecht and Thomas Mann, but also more recent works, e.g. “Beaten” by Ailís ní Ríain, or Peter Handke’s “The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other”. 

In 1993 the drama group became part of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts – Studium fundamentale. The UW/H drama society was founded in 2006 by former drama group members who wished to pass on the positive experience of play-acting to fellow students. The drama society is permitted to accept donations, e.g. for costumes and other expenses. Blanche Kommerell: “A big thank you to all former drama group members!” 

More on Blanche Kommerell:
Homepage Blanche Kommerell
Blanche Kommerell at Wikipedia