'Twist' Turns Heads at Competition

Author: Pascal LaFountain

Everyone knows that sex sells, but who knew that sex could win a German theater competition?
The German play "Twist," written by Arthur Schnitzler and performed on campus three weeks ago, went on to win the annual German National Theater Festival and Competition at Mount Holyoke College.
"Twist" is the second production that Arthur Schnitzler specialist and Assistant Professor of German Bettina Matthias has directed at Middlebury College. Assistant Director Carina Beyer '99 and actors Adam Rahal '05 and Alex Rhinehart '05 are veterans of the national theater festival, which Middlebury also won with a Schnitzler play last year.
German Teaching Assistant Yasmin Rabiyan and Visiting Lecturer in German Christina Wegel also seved as assistant directors. The cast consisted of seven German students: aside from Rahal and Rhinehart, Richard Lutjens '03, Elif Kiratli '03, Colin Ashby-Kuhlman '05, Ryan Gamble '06 and Katherine Peters '06 acted in the risquÈ play.
What gave the Middlebury theater troupe the upper hand? "The sex," said Gamble. Kiratli claimed it was the play's humor, the "action" on stage and the fact that the play included several scenes written by Ashby-Kuhlman.
Matthias praised the group's communal feeling and found that the bond between her and the actors represented the entire German "posse" at Middlebury. She counted the trip to Mount Holyoke as one of her "best personal college-related experiences of this semester" and gave credit to "both the talents and the commitment of our students."
Matthias emphasized that the play was "infused" with energy throughout its preparation, "to the point where Christina and I both felt goose bumps during one scene on stage."
"Twist," with its intense sexual innuendo its biting commentary on relationships in turn-of-the-century Vienna, and its added scenes on homosexuality, snatches the attention of any German-speaking audience.
In the Middlebury language immersion spirit, the outing to Mt. Holyoke was a completely German experience. Kiratli said she had some of the most fun "saying our lines back and forth to each other during the ride," and Gamble added that the students spoke German "at the theater watching other plays and getting ready."
Middlebury students took advantage of the meeting to show off their talent and make connections with other germanophiles.
Gamble noted the friendly rapport with University of Vermont and Connecticut College students. Kiratli said of meeting other competitors, "because we were speaking German to each other most of the time, they asked if we were all Germans."
"Twist" underwent several changes after its well-attended performance on campus. Cutting the time of the play was a challenge, since the circularity of the plot is an essential element of its structure. Matthias' solution involved reducing the first and last scenes to pantomimes.
With a few tweaks since its campus success, "Twist" became a winner at the national level. The German department is looking to continue its winning streak during Matthias' absence next year.