Mephisto

In the organizer's words:

An artist between adaptation and rebellion

For the actor Hendrik Höfgen, his engagement at the Prussian State Theater in Berlin marks the beginning of a frightening rise. After his triumph in the role of Mephisto, he himself makes a pact with the devil. The fascist prime minister appoints him artistic director. Höfgen finds himself in the role of his life: maneuvering between conformity and rebellion, between profit and criticism of the system, between art and power.

"Mephisto" is Klaus Mann's devastating account of the biography of the actor and director Gustaf Gründgens, who was married to Mann's sister Erika from 1925 to 1928. Banned for decades in West Germany, "Mephisto" is one of the most controversial novels of post-war German society: a key text about the responsibility of the individual in a fascist state.

Jette Steckel was invited to the Berlin Theatertreffen for the first time in 2024 with "Die Vaterlosen", her acclaimed Munich debut. She is an expert in imaginative dramatizations of the novel and a master of visually stunning, poetic drama festivals.

"Are we prepared to tear down the boundaries of our convictions for our own benefit? Would we deprive art of its freedom in order to make it possible and allow it to become a representative of our interests? These are questions that arise against the backdrop of the rise of right-wing sentiment in our country today. When does a person, and especially an artist, become an opportunist?"

- Jette Steckel, director