Katja Eichbaum
Katja Eichbaum, geboren 1976, studierte Kommunikationsdesign in Hamburg und arbeitete acht Jahre als Art Direktorin, u. a. an den Münchner Kammerspielen. Seit 2006 entstehen, neben ihre Tätigkeit als Bühnenbildnerin, freie Arbeiten im Bereich Fotografie, Video, Rauminstallation und Performance. Ihre Projekte als Bühnenbildnerin führten Katja Eichbaum zum Beispiel an die Staatsoper Stuttgart, die Volksbühne Berlin, das Residenztheater München, Theater Basel, Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Theater Bremen, Schauspiel Leipzig, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Oper am Rhein, Grand Théatre Luxembourg, Wiener Festwochen und Ruhrtriennale.
Productions
The fawn Bambi was not created by Walt Disney, but by the Viennese writer Felix Salten. As a passionate hunter he described the rough cycle of life from Bambi’s birth to an advanced age in his »Life Stories from the Forest« from 1922. The musician and director Schorsch Kamerun tells how every new day in the forest represents an existential challenge for the animal world with his ensemble in a colourful and dangerous revue.
Bambi
At Whitsun the lion king Nobel invites his subjects to his court for an early summer celebration. The entire animal kingdom gathers – ranging from the crane to the wolf and the bear. Only one animal is missing: the fox called Reineke. As soon as his name his mentioned, the mood of harmony vanishes. One angry accusation follows another and Reinike the fox is charged in his absence with a series of incredible crimes. The cockerel, for example, complains of losing his wife and children – Reineke ate them for supper. When he is eventually put on trial, the accomplished liar – an animal equivalent of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt – manages to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes – man, woman or creature – and slip his neck out of the noose. Eventually he even acquires a whole crowd of followers and is elected Chancellor.
The moral of the story is that not everyone with foxy cunning and a talent for oratory puts those gifts to benevolent use – on the contrary! But how can we tell the difference between truth and lies? How can we avoid being taken in by the peddlers of fake news? How can we remain faithful to our own opinions and values?
Reineke Fuchs