Why Are Workers Only Classy on Stage?

Fake it till you make it: In *The Captain of Köpenick*, the ensemble, directed by Sebastian Hartmann, can play many roles.

In this production, structured around an emancipatory role-playing game, the class-transcending trick is central: an anonymous worker uses a uniform to elevate himself to the status of a respected military officer.

For the historical Wilhelm Voigt (1849–1922), the calculated performance as the “Captain of Köpenick” marked the best financial period of his life. The media hype surrounding the Köpenick saga brought far more fame and money than his previous precarious, nomadic life as a cobbler—and secured Voigt’s posthumous fame. Without the stunt with the uniform, we wouldn’t even know who he was today. Why are proletarian figures only of interest in their media portrayals? And what does that say about the classism of culture and society? A conversation with rapper Ebow and Professor of Social Work Francis Seeck seeks answers to these questions.

With

• Ebow – Rapper
• Francis Seeck – Professor of Social Work

• Moderator: Matthias Dell – theater, film, and media critic

(In German with English translation)