 Mandrake The Artificial Woman Written and directed by James Edward Lyons Premiere: October 24, 2007 Kleines Theater, Berlin www.kleines-theater.de |
The root of the mandrake plant, with its human form and hallucinogenic effects, has been the source of myths and legends throughout the centuries. In his scandal-fantasy novel 'Alraune' (1911) the German author Hanns-Heinz Ewers congured up the lurid vision of Mandrake as the offspring of an artificially inseminated prostitute and a convicted murderer. Related to the ancient golems and mechanical doll Olympia from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story 'The Sandman', Mandrake is designed to fulfill the every wish of its owner. But instead of bringing wealth, fertility and happiness, in the end she only causes death and destruction. Filmed during the
silent film age with Brigitte Helm (better known for her role in ‚Metropolis’),
and in the 1950's with Hildegard Knef, Mandrake has become the very
essence of a 'femme fatale': a beautiful object of desire with deadly
results. Today, in the era of Cyborgs, Second Life and Cybersex, the
far-flung fantasy of an artificial woman has become a part of our daily
reality. The new stage adaptation 'Alraune' combines the ancient myths
with the new technologies to create a modern-day Mandrake. The result is
an dark, entertaining musical about our brave new virtual world. |
