You can see and hear the Chawwerusch Theater with the Cervantes classic "Don Quixote", the Theater Anu with a walk-in theater experience under the open sky and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in combination with the experimental soundscapes of the band Spark.
An invitation to failure
On Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 8 pm, the Chawwerusch Theater at Oberstein Castle presents the classic "Don Quixote" based on Miguel Cervantes. Danilo Fioriti's production is a loving homage to the power of the imagination, a search for meaning in a contradictory world - and a plea for faith in something greater. An evening full of humor, music, melancholy and magic.
A parched land, shimmering heat, two figures on the horizon - one scrawny and serious, the other round and pragmatic. Anyone who sees these two knows immediately: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are on their way.
The Chawwerusch Theater is dedicated to one of the most important works of world literature. With imagination, music and a large ensemble, it tells the tragicomic adventures of the man from La Mancha - Don Quixote, who set out as a knight to bring good back into the world. He fights against windmills, against injustice, against the limits of reality - and perhaps also against himself.
They sing, argue, love and laugh. Small battles for decency and courage meet big questions about truth and reality. Is Don Quixote a fool - or simply the only one who has the courage to believe in his utopia?
The morning after, you are a different person
Once again, Theater Anu is a guest at THEATERSOMMER. On Friday and Saturday, August 29 and 30, 2025, at 9 pm, the ensemble from Berlin will present its production "Dreamer" in the Idar-Oberstein city park. It is a play about freedom - and the question of whether we can endure it at all. It is about control and surrender, about closeness and distance, about what we try to suppress - and what perhaps wants to get out for this very reason.
Something wild has been locked up in an old tower for generations. Nobody knows exactly what it is - only that it is not allowed to escape. But then the village burns, the tower collapses - and the wild thing is free. What follows is a hunt - but not an ordinary one. Because suddenly the villagers grow tails, rabbits swarm through the streets and the earth begins to shake. Nothing is safe anymore, everything begins to shake. What is a dream, what is reality? Who is the wild thing and who is the dreamer?
"Dreamer" is not a classic play, but a walk-in theater experience in the open air. The audience becomes part of the story, moving freely through various locations in the Idar-Oberstein city park and following the characters on their search for order, freedom and truth. In the magical evening atmosphere of the park, a world between dream and reality unfolds - full of powerful images, sounds and poetic moments. Theater Anu invites you to a sensual experience that shakes up our civilized world and makes the wild in us tangible.
Scenic cantata meets classical band
On Sunday, September 28, 2025, at 6 pm, the choirs of the Obere Nahe church district will present the event "Carmina Burana & Spark" under the direction of Roland Lißmann at the Idar-Oberstein Exhibition Center. Carl Orff's monumental Carmina Burana meets the soundscapes of the band Spark, creating an extraordinary musical experience between tradition and modernity.
Under the overall musical direction of long-time district cantor Roland Lißmann, different generations and musical styles come together. The famous choral cycle Carmina Burana will be performed in a classical setting with cross-generational choirs, soloists, two pianos and a percussion ensemble. Spark adds a special artistic touch to the concert. The multi-award-winning band introduces thematic interjections in their characteristic sound language and thus sets unexpected accents within the traditional framework. With over 40 instruments on stage, Spark is known for its creative combination of classical music with modern elements.
Carmina Burana, one of the most important choral works of the 20th century, is based on medieval texts and is particularly world-famous for its impressive opening chorus "O Fortuna". The combination with Spark's experimental sound world creates an exciting musical bridge between past and present. The soloists are Thomas Gropper, Gerrit Illenberger (both baritone), Stephan Schlögl (tenor) and Isabella Gantner (soprano). Thomas Layes and Andreas Rothkopf take on the piano parts, while the percussion ensemble was put together by Achim Seyler.
The THEATERSOMMER is an event organized by the city of Idar-Oberstein. It is supported by Kreissparkasse Birkenfeld, Effgen Schleiftechnik, OIE AG, the Bürkle Foundation and the Ministry for Family, Women, Culture and Integration. All information is available at www.idar-oberstein.de/kultur, tickets at www.ticket-regional.de and at the associated advance booking offices.