BAM Presents 'The Marriage of Maria Braun,' 11/17

BAM presents Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz's 'The Marriage of Maria Braun,' November 17.

Performances will take place in the BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) Nov 17-20 at 7:30pm Nov 20 at 2pm & Nov 21 at 3pm. Tickets are $25, 45, 65.

Artist Talk with Thomas Ostermeier
Moderated by Klaus Biesenbach - MoMA Chief Curator at Large and Director of MoMA P.S.1 where he organized the exhibition Fassbinder: Berlin Alexanderplatz Thu, Nov 18 at 6pm, BAM Rose Cinemas ($10; $5 for Friends of BAM)

**In conjunction with the stage production, BAMcinématek will screen the original film on November 20 at 2, 4:30, 6:50, and 9:15pm.**

The renowned German theater company Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, under the fearless direction of Thomas Ostermeier, returns to BAM with The Marriage of Maria Braun, an acclaimed stage adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's iconic 1979 film. Echoing Fassbinder's confrontation of Germany's postwar political and social corruption, the production tells the story of Maria Braun, a woman who uses her sexuality and ingenuity to survive and eventually prosper in the aftermath of World War II.

An Allied bombing raid marks the ominous wedding of Maria to her true love, Hermann Braun. The ink barely dry on their marriage certificate, he immediately returns to the front leaving his new spouse alone to survive the rest of the war and its aftermath. Soon Hermann is reported dead, and Maria becomes involved with a loyal and doting American soldier. Hermann, who is in fact alive, returns home at the war's end to find his wife with a new beau and causes a fight during which Maria accidentally kills the soldier. Refusing to let his loved one take the blame, Hermann instead accepts responsibility and is imprisoned for years. Alone again, Maria begins an affair with a wealthy suitor. Harnessing her sexuality, brains, and ambition, she gradually builds a life of privilege and fortune, paving the way for her and her husband to live comfortably when he is released from prison. Upon his release, however, Maria discovers that Hermann has made arrangements with her lover on his own, leading to a shocking and explosive ending.

Time Out Berlin recently hailed the Schaubühne as "one of the most important places for avant-garde theater." The company, in a production that is often as droll and funny as it is uncompromising, masterfully explores the unusual ways Maria Braun responds to the corruption and hardship that surrounds her-laying bare her true nature.

The Marriage of Maria Braun is one of Fassbinder's most acclaimed films and is the first in his BRD trilogy about Germany's postwar economic recovery. This touchstone of the German New Wave functions both as a delirious, camp soap opera and as a metaphor for Germany's precarious economic fortune.

About the artists Thomas Ostermeier is considered one of the leading voices in contemporary theater and has developed a singular directorial style that is lauded throughout Europe and the US. Since 1999, Ostermeier has served as the resident director and an artistic director of the Schaubühne. His productions there have included Nora (A Doll's House) (2004 Next Wave), Hedda Gabler (2006 Next Wave)-both of which were invited to the Theatertreffen Berlin-and A Midsummer Night's Dream, based on Shakespeare and co-directed with choreographer Constanza Macras. In 2004, Ostermeier was appointed associate artist for the Festival d'Avignon. In 2009, his production of Ibsen's John Gabriel Bookman won the Grand Prize of French Critics and his production of Hamlet was honored with the Barcelona Critics Prize. His productions of Nora (A Doll's House), Hedda Gabler and Hamlet have been touring internationally on festivals and in theatres all over the world. Ostermeier was named an Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2010.

The Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz was founded in 1962 (in a different location) as the Schaubühne am Halleschen Ufer in Berlin, a private theater with a committed political and social agenda. Peter Stein served as the artistic director from 1970 until 1985, and was later succeeded by Luc Bondy, Jürgen Gosch, and Andrea Breth. In 1981, the Schaubühne moved into the former Universum Cinema, built in the 1920s by Bauhaus architect Erich Mendelsohn, located on Lehniner Platz. The directors at the Schaubühne under the artistic leadership of Thomas Ostermeier since 1999 are bound by their interest in the steady development of the acting ensemble, the contemporization of classical material, and the intensive exploration of contemporary drama. With Ostermeier and a selection of outstanding directors such as Falk Richter, Ivo van Hove, Katie Mitchell, Michael Thalheimer, David Marton, Egill Anton Heidar Pálsson, Volker Lösch, Friederike Heller, and Marius von Mayenburg as well as choreographers Anouk van Dijk and Constanza Macras, the Schaubühne continues its tradition of contemporary and critical new interpretations of classics, from Greek myths through Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Ibsen, up to Tennessee Williams. Alongside them, the core of the repertoire is composed of contemporary authors (as documented by more than 50 world and German-language premieres in the last 10 years), an intensive collaboration with associated playwright Marius von Mayenburg, Falk Richter's diverse projects and plays, the annual competition for young playwrights, as well as the Festival for International New Drama (F.I.N.D.). For this festival one week of the year is devoted to presenting new plays from both Germany and abroad. Since the 2008/09 season, the Schaubühne has been a founding member of the European Theatre Union, »Prospero«. This union envisions theaters from Portugal, France, Belgium, Italy, Finland, and Germany joining forces to create and exchange productions through elaborate touring. The collaboration was launched with Thomas Ostermeier's production of Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman in Rennes, France.

For press information contact Sarah Garvey at 718.636.4129 x7 or sgarvey@bam.org. Credits
BAM 2010 Next Wave Festival is part of Diverse Voices at BAM sponsored by Time Warner Inc. Leadership support for the Next Wave Festival provided by The Ford Foundation. Leadership support for The Marriage of Maria Braun provided by brigitte nyc. Major support for theater at BAM is provided by The Shubert Foundation, Inc. and The SHS Foundation.

BAM 2010 Next Wave Festival supporters include: Estate of Richard B. Fisher; Brigitte NYC; The Leona M. & Harry B.Helmsley Charitable Trust; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; The SHS Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Skirball Foundation; The Starr Foundation; The Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation, Inc.; Time Warner Inc. and Friends of BAM and BAM Cinema Club. Sovereign Bank is the BAM Marquee sponsor. Yamaha is the official piano for BAM. R/GA is the BAM.org sponsor. New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is the official hotel for BAM.

General Information BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, and BAMcafé are located in the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue (between St Felix Street and Ashland Place) in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. BAM Harvey Theater is located two blocks from the main building at 651 Fulton Street (between Ashland and Rockwell Places). Both locations house Shakespeare & Co. at BAM kiosks. BAM Rose Cinemas is Brooklyn's only movie house dedicated to first-run independent and foreign film and repertory programming. BAMcafé, operated by Great Performances, is open for dining prior to BAM Howard Gilman Opera House evening performances. BAMcafé also features an eclectic mix of spoken word and live music for BAMcafé Live on Friday and Saturday nights with a special BAMcafé Live menu available starting at 8pm.

For ticket and BAMbus information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100, or visit BAM.org.