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sein und schein

BREGENZERWALDER FESTSPIELE 2023

The captivating song program, expected to run for 60 minutes, explores the enchanting boundary between existence and fleeting appearances. Marlene Heiss has crafted an impressive concept that encompasses a diverse repertoire of songs, legends from the Bregenzerwald region, and poetic lyrics. It is an interdisciplinary collaboration that seamlessly combines vocals, storytelling, music, and shadow play, promising an extraordinary experience.

Koncept, Piano, Spoken Word: Marlene Heiss
Bariton: Johannes Worms
Shadowplay: Bianka Drozdik
Recitation: George Nussbaumer
Movement Directing: Viatcheslav Kushkov
Poetry: Siljarosa Schletterer
Shadow Coaching: Lukas Schneider
Text Coaching: Michelle Steiner
Lightdesign: Martin Beck

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das schiefe Haus

Anhaltisches Theater DESSAU 2023

Thilo Sauer in Fidena:

„It is always remarkable what insights puppet theatre provides into the worlds of children: the children of the tenement house are hiding in the attic. They all tell similar stories of parents who are strange, withdrawn, full of worries, but only discuss them when they think they are unobserved by the children. The text merely hints at these worries. They sound as nebulous as they must seem to the children, but the well-read adults in the audience will probably interpret them immediately: Unemployment, war, inflation, violence on the streets and much more.“

directed: Sebastian Stolz
written by: Thomas Freyer
with: Kerstin Dathe, Bianka Drozdik
dramaturgy: Sahar Rezaei
stage and costumes: Nancy Ungurean

Märchenland für alle

Research project LEIPZIG 2023

In the concluding part of my research on stereotyped fairy tale characters – over a period of two intensive weeks – I questioned the playable properties of clay in various ways, created clay figures, and sought meaningful connections between my acting hand and the sculpted forms to consciously express fairy tale motifs. Clay proved to be a fascinating and malleable medium, excellently suited to convey the idea of transformation. The adaptability of the puppets, shaped by the hands of the performers, can effectively communicate the complexity of exploring narratives, power structures, and the transient nature of the characters in this creative process.

Embracing the Root

Center at West Park NEW YORK 2022-23

EMBRACING THE ROOT is a nature-oriented modern opera involving music, drama, puppetry, dance,and animation. The project is an initiative by New York composer/keyboardist Carman Moore and Danish actress/vocalist/ lyricist Lotte Arnsbjerg – based on new scientific discoveries about the intellengence of nature – especially how plants communicate, sense and bring aid to each other for survival and ongoing life.

playwright, vocalist, project founder: Lotte Arnsbjerg
composer, pianist, project founder: Carman Moore
directed: Rolf Soeborg Hansen
puppets: Bianka Drozdik, Evi Arnsbjerg
saxophone: Premik Russell
harmonica: Mathias Heise
percussion: Ayi Solomon
choreographer: Kiori Kawai

paperlicious

Valby Kulturhus COPENHAGEN 2022

Two workaholics work their lives away in a grotesque, Kafkaesque office universe made of paper. This office world has been the same for hundreds of years – until a small voice appears. The voice comes from the paper, which has come alive and wants a change. The paper is transformed into a little puppet that opens up another world – a world where creativity and playfulness reign. During the play, the puppet grows and transforms, varying in size from 40 cm to over 3 metres.

A sensory tale of rediscovery and embracing inner creativity. Non-verbal puppet theatre for adults and children from 12 years of age.

Directing, play and concept: Bianka Drozdik, Evi Arnsbjerg Brygmann
Scenography: Andrea Lindeneg
Original music: Christoffer Høyer
Sound design: Kristoffer Alm
Light design: Optika Studio
Dramaturgical coaching: Lotte Arnsbjerg, Rolf Søborg Hansen
Photography: Esben Frese, Louis Lindberg

The performance is supported by The Danish Arts Foundation, Valby Lokaludvalg, Dansk Skuespillerforbund, Bispebjerg Bydelspulje, Den kollektive 1/3 af Båndkopimidlerne, FDS Legat and Udviklingsplatformen for Scenekunst.

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die kleine Hexe

Anhaltisches Theater DESSAU 2022

Roland H. Dippel in Mitteldeutsche Zeitung:

„For three generations of children, The Little Witch has been part of changing custom for collective identity. […] Maria Dietze and Bianka Drozdik were at the puppet stage in the Anhaltisches Theater of Dessau with a breathtaking speed in motion. […] This play version is so fast and the stage is so opulent that it is a pity for every second missed.

directed: Jürg Schlachter
with: Bianka Drozdik, Maria Dietze
dramaturgy: Max Grafe
stage: Kerstin Dathe

Alter Treffpunkt neue Duktus

Research project LEIPZIG 2022

The research project „Alter Treffpunkt, neue Duktus“ explores the various artistic ways of telling stories on the street using puppets. I reach back deliberately to the wide range of contemporary puppet techniques, which have so far only celebrated their premieres in closed rooms. A courageous attempt at adaptation – from inside to outside.

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Deutsche Symphonie Orchestra: The Bear

Kühlhaus BERLIN 2021

ROBIN TICCIATI
baritone (Smirnov): Oliver Boyd
mezzo-soprano (Popova): Dominika Kościelniak
bass (Luka): Shokri Francis Raoof
Members of the DSO Academics of the DSO

directed: Andrea Tortosa Baquero
puppetry: Sean Grimm, Bianka Drozdik
stage: Katrin Lehmacher
costumes: Emma Hoffmann
dramaturgy: Esteban Muñoz

written and directed by: Christian Franke
with Bianka Drozdik, Nicole Widera and Niclas Herzberg
music: Tim Roth
stage and costumes: Sabine Mäder
puppetmaker: Magdalena Roth

der himmel ist ja da.

Anhaltisches Theater DESSAU 2021

Ronald M. Schernikau is dead. Long live Ronald M. Schernikau. Born in Magdeburg in 1960, the writer was put into a trunk as a child – with his mother – to live in the West. This left with a longing for his homeland. Later, after studying at the Institute of Literature »Johannes R. Becher« in Leipzig, Schernikau became a citizen of the GDR again. Soon after, neither him nor his homeland exist: On October the 3rd, 1990, the GDR was absorbed into the Federal Republic and on October the 20th, 1991, Schernikau died of AIDS. But this is not the end, because Schernikau varies his conviction in countless biographical texts: death is not an argument against life. And the stupidity of the communists is not an argument against communism. The staging as the mosaic of utopian realism, celebrates the beauty of the gay communist, the revolutionary diva Ronald M. Schernikau. With his world premiere, director Christian Franke, who was born in Naumburg, pays tribute to Schernikau’s lively creative power and sends a dove of peace into the sky.

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Money Maus Living Room

interactive Audio Walk STUTTGART 2021

The Audio Walk „Money Maus – The Living Room“ was my first own performance since graduation, which I completed with my Hungarian colleague Helga Lazar and successfully performed at the International Puppet Theatre Festival in Erlangen. It deals with the events of the past year around the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest (Színház és Filmművészeti Egyetem, i.e. SZFE), describes the dismantling of its democratic rights, autonomy and academic freedom and the resistance of its students and lecturers.

Directing, play,  concept: Bianka Drozdik, Helga Lazar
puppetmaking, artistic supervisor: Stefanie Oberhoff
Dramaturgy supervisor: Judith Franke
Voice: Bence Ivak

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Inklusion in die Stadt

Neustart Kultur project BRAUNSCHWEIG 2021

The project „Inclusion in the City“ was a major art action in Braunschweig that wanted to point out the importance of diversity. After the preparation, i.e. after a week of workshops in three groups (puppet, sound and writing), we conceived and organized the actual performance and finally conquered the city center of Braunschweig. In a mixture of demonstration and performance, with the aid of small etudes and self-made puppets, we aimed to show how much talent and skill is present in our society in places where this is not suspected.

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Rico, Oscar und die Tierschatten

Musiktheater im Revier GELSENKIRCHEN 2020

Ten-year-old Rico from Berlin-Kreuzberg describes himself as „deeply disadvantaged“; he sometimes takes a little longer to think. This makes him the exact opposite of his new friend Oskar, the seven-year-old highly gifted. Together they follow in the footsteps of the child kidnapper „Mister 2000“. The author Andreas Steinhöfel created with the „Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten“ probably the most successful children’s and youth book of recent years. The Musiktheater im Revier shows the theatre version by Felicitas Loewe in a musical version with puppets.

directed, costumes and puppetmaking: Kai Anne Schuhmacher
with: Daniel Jeroma, Seth Tietze, Johanna Kunze, Merten Schroedter, Bianka Drozdik
musical direction: Martin Sotelo 
stage: Anke Niehammer
dramaturgy: Olaf Roth 

frankenstein

Musiktheater im Revier GELSENKIRCHEN 2019

Honke Rambow:
„Evi Arnsbjerg Brygmann, Bianka Drozdik and Eileen von Hoyningen Huene not only operate the almost two-meter-tall puppet designed by Karin Tiefensee and Ingo Mewes but also alternately lend their voice to the monster, speak narrative texts and sing short passages. All this is quite impressive. It only takes a few moments for the three players to merge with the puppet in such a way that they seem to be only shadows next to the monster which is acting on its own. Almost paradoxical that the monster’s own life is made even more impressive by the players repeatedly interacting directly with the puppet and then stepping back into the shadows. That’s great.“

The monster: Evi Arnsbjerg Brygmann / Bianka Drozdik / Eileen von Hoyningen Huene / Anastasia Starodubova
Viktor Frankenstein: Piotr Prochera
Elisabeth Delacey: Bele Kumberger / Giulia Montanari
Alois Frankenstein, farmer’s father, fur hunter: Urban Malmberg
Father Delacey, priest, fisherman, captain: Michael Tews
Bauer, Ernst Frankenstein, young fisherman, Maat: Tobias Glagau

musical direction: Giuliano Betta
directed: Sebastian Schwab
stage: Britta Tönne
costumes: Rebekka Dornhege Reyes
light: Thomas Ratzinger
sound: Marco Brinkmann
puppet making: Ingo Mewes, Karin Tiefensee
dramaturgy: Olaf Roth

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der Prozess

Schauspielhaus St. Gallen SCHWEIZ 2020

The Acting devision of the Theater St.Gallen (Switzerland) starts 2020 with an extraordinary project. In the adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novel „The Trial“, ensemble members are on stage together with puppeteers from the „Ernst Busch“ Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin. In Anita Augustin’s adaptation, acting director Jonas Knecht and co-director Markus Joss explore the surreal moments of the confusing world around the protagonist Josef K.

directed: Jonas Knecht
co-director: Markus Joss
Stage: Claudia Rohner
Costume: Heidi Walter
live music: Andi Peter, Nico Feer
dramaturgy: Anja Horst, Armin Breidenbach

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Disconnect

Musiktheater im Revier GELSENKIRCHEN 2020

„[…] Bianka Drozdik and her partner, Eileen von Hoyningen Huene tell the story with flashbacks to childhood, how two young women meet at a party. How they find each other as a couple. And how a deadly treacherous disease – Covid 19 according to the data – causes one to sneak out of the other’s life through death, leaving the other in suffocating loneliness. This is a performance of strong feelings, admirably haunting and authentically played.[…]”

directing, play, scenography and concept: Bianka Drozdik, Eileen von Hoyningen Huene
original music: Anais-Nour Benlachhab
directing supervisor: Karin Hermann
artistic supervision: Barbara Theobald

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RAR

HfS BERLIN 2019

The chosen theme was the silence about traumatic events. The artistic process was preceded by an intensive research phase of two weeks in the medical field of „epigenetics“. Epigenetics is a discipline that specifically investigates the factors that control the activity of our genes. We wanted to practically investigate the question of whether trauma can be inherited. We have dealt with our grandparents‘ generation. The generation of those who were children in the Second World War and in the post-war period and often have not spoken openly about this time with their children or grandchildren.

directing, play, scenography and concept: Bianka Drozdik, Eileen von Hoyningen Huene
original music: Carsten Thorwald
voices: Linda Mattern, Josephine Buchwitz
sound: Mate Victor
directing Supervisor: Agnes Kuthy
photography: Mate Victor