RONALD GRANZ
dramatiker lyriker autor
DRAMA
Bagdad Dreams
Young Salim ekes out a miserable existence in Bagdad. Constantly he is on the look out for used auto parts. He dreams about building an existence for himself, but that is a fallacy. Although his girlfriend Leila and his parents reproach him for it, he undertakes the straining journey to Germany. But, life in a German city is different then he had expected. On and on he is forced to go through the grinder of German migrational bureaucracy. He shares his days and nights with his fellow-sufferers under bridges, on park benches, and fails to get a job. Finally he lands one as a labourer and mechanic. Here he meets his new German girlfriend Jasmin. Suffering from the demands of a high pressured modern life, his thoughts always turn back to his family and friends in Bagdad. Together with his new girlfriend he looks for an apartment to start a new life, but she still sees in him only the migrant. All feelings of affection are tainted by the reality of their different cultural background. Premièred at Lenné Theatre in Berlin.
DRAMA
Bagdad Dreams
Young Salim ekes out a miserable existence in Bagdad. Constantly he is on the look out for used auto parts. He dreams about building an existence for himself, but that is a fallacy. Although his girlfriend Leila and his parents reproach him for it, he undertakes the straining journey to Germany. But, life in a German city is different then he had expected.
DRAMA
Oh Frederick
„Oh Frederick! My Crypt is Mine". In this black comedy an ineducable nephew of an charitable family in Potsdam is involved in a satanically cheerful farce, dealing with love, passion, medical experiments and resurrection. Important people of Potsdam society make up the centre of this comedy. While they circle in Hardy’s orbit, they are subject to the unconventional nephew’s genetic experiments, he calls „peaceful resurrection“. Historical figures, like Stalin and Frederick the Great, get involved, as well as a generous supporter from the Clinton White House.
DRAMA
Oh Frederick
In this black comedy an ineducable nephew of an charitable family in Potsdam is involved in a satanically cheerful farce, dealing with love, passion, medical experiments and resurrection.
DRAMA
Heaven 103, far from blue
Anna Pommer arrived in the West with two suitcases, five photos and a bag full of expectations. Now, after month working her job as a lift-girl, she stands in the cabin of the elevator on the 52nd floor of the Crystal Tower, and she looks back on her many encounters during her time here in this new world. Although deeply hurt by countless dark experiences, she still holds on to her positive view of the West, as the promised land, which is personified in her great love Hubert Kahn, an upstart from the 103rd floor. In him, the symbol of the upstart, the corrupted western way of life is exposed. In him we see the dark undertow of a system of dehumanized competition, were feelings do no longer play a part in. It is now obvious to Anna, he never returned her honest feelings toward him, but instead just used her and played on her naivety. Between her defeats and happy moments, between earth and sky, we glimpse a look at the life of Anna Pommer, gallivanting between the floors she will never be apart of. Culturally and emotionally, she does not belong in the East anymore, but she never truly arrived in the West. In her love of life she shows us our own dilemma; that we are stuck in our own expectations of current community values. "Heaven 103, far from blue - a solitary fate", is a parable on the immense migrational drift happening today, as well as a critical evaluation of the current condition of society. Premièred at Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen.
DRAMA
Heaven 103, far from blue
Anna Pommer arrived in the West with two suitcases, five photos and a bag full of expectations. Now, after month working her job as a lift-girl, she stands in the cabin of the elevator on the 52th floor of the Crystal Tower, and she looks back on her many encounters during her time here in this new world. "Heaven 103, far from blue - a solitary fate", is a parable on the immense migrational drift happening today, as well as a critial evaluation of the current condition of society.
DRAMA
The Crystal Tower - an interview with Ronald Granz
"The initial idea for the drama took shape in my mind when I was in Chicago, where I got to know a lady whose job it was to take passengers up and down a big tower in an elevator. Apparently, as people reached the upper floors they begin to feel as if they are in heaven." Granz then went on to describe the play's storyline: "The woman takes passengers up to floor 103 where the tower's manager resides. She falls in love with the manager and mentally prepares herself to marry him, but he ignores her attentions. At the same time, a man from an Eastern country becomes interested in her, but she doesn't like the idea of getting involved with a person from that part of the world." He explained. "From there on I am writing about a woman who goes on hoping that her dreams will come true someday despite experiencing many difficulties." He pointed out that in this production he has attempted to show that the West is not quite the way it is imagined by people living in other parts of the world, "It is true that the West benefits from a high level of technology, but people must comprehend that a good spirit does not prevail behind this modern development. The major theme of the drama is to reveal the relationship between the East and the West." He went on to say that the play has also been staged in Germany, remarking: "The differences between the Iranian and German performances were extremely important to me and very interesting. As a German writer, I am happy that Ghaderi has managed to stage 'The Crystal Tower' at Tehran's City Theater. In Germany, the central actress spoke in the form of a monologue in order to depict her sense of solitude, while here in Iran, the woman is portrayed as seeking love and peace, and the social problems of the West and New York have been emphasized."
DRAMA
The Crystal Tower
The drama „The Crystal Tower“ is an adaption of „Heaven 103, far from blue“ in Farsi. It premièred in 2007 at the State Theatre of Teheran. Director Nasrollah Ghaderi's interpretation focuses more on the cultural differences between East and West then the German staging did. He also sets a different emotional tone with the female protagonist.
DRAMA
Kummeroff
One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, former judge Kummeroff lives with his family in a magnificent villa, which he has snaffled under the old GDR regime, through means of denunciation of his long-time college Wagner and his son. Kummeroff’s life is dominated by separation anxiety and he act accordingly. He lives in constant fear, all his illegal possessions will be repossessed by its rightful owners. He installs alarm systems and tyrannizes his family with emergency drills. Seemingly by accident, a student, Mike Blaschke, wanders into the house. During the family's holiday he offers to stay and watch the house. But, Mike has a hidden agenda, which he conceals well. His cleverly asked questions reveal the villa's dark secrets. The "memory of things" is awakened, and the shadows of the past are crawling back to the surface, and demand justice. Among those things, is Julius Wagner, first love of his favoured daughter Else, and son of the betrayed college Wagner. It is revealed that Kummeroff incarcerated Julius and denounced Wagner out of jealousy. That broke Else’s heart and that is why she broke with her father. The drama tightens when Blaschke is exposed as Wagner’s second son, and Else comes back to the villa. "Kummeroff" is a bitter-sweat comedy about egoism, about needs and wants, and about epochal ideologies that fail because of these frailties.
DRAMA
Kummeroff
One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, former judge Kummeroff lives with his family in a magnificent villa, which he has snaffled under the old GDR regime, through means of denunciation of his long-time college Wagner and his son. Seemingly by accident, a student, Mike Blaschke, wanders into the house. His cleverly asked questions reveal the villa's dark secrets.
THEATRE
Without doubt, it is one of Ronald Granz's creative strengths to create powerful dramas. The endearing power of his dramatic pieces lies in the sensitivity towards his protagonists, whose lives suddenly presents them with sometimes macabre situations, which they now have to come to terms with.
Bagdad Dreams
Young Salim ekes out a miserable existence in Bagdad. Constantly he is on the look out for used auto parts. He dreams about building an existence for himself, but that is a fallacy. Although his girlfriend Leila and his parents reproach him for it, he undertakes the straining journey to Germany. But, life in a German city is different then he had expected. On and on he is forced to go through the grinder of German migrational bureaucracy. He shares his days and nights with his fellow-sufferers under bridges, on park benches, and fails to get a job. Finally he lands one as a labourer and mechanic. Here he meets his new German girlfriend Jasmin. Suffering from the demands of a high pressured modern life, his thoughts always turn back to his family and friends in Bagdad. Together with his new girlfriend he looks for an apartment to start a new life, but she still sees in him only the migrant. All feelings of affection are tainted by the reality of their different cultural background. Premièred at Lenné Theatre in Berlin.
Heaven 103, far from blue
Anna Pommer arrived in the West with two suitcases, five photos and a bag full of expectations. Now, after month working her job as a lift-girl, she stands in the cabin of the elevator on the 52nd floor of the Crystal Tower, and she looks back on her many encounters during her time here in this new world. Although deeply hurt by countless dark experiences, she still holds on to her positive view of the West, as the promised land, which is personified in her great love Hubert Kahn, an upstart from the 103rd floor. In him, the symbol of the upstart, the corrupted western way of life is exposed. In him we see the dark undertow of a system of dehumanized competition, were feelings do no longer play a part in. It is now obvious to Anna, he never returned her honest feelings toward him, but instead just used her and played on her naivety. Between her defeats and happy moments, between earth and sky, we glimpse a look at the life of Anna Pommer, gallivanting between the floors she will never be apart of. Culturally and emotionally, she does not belong in the East anymore, but she never truly arrived in the West. In her love of life she shows us our own dilemma; that we are stuck in our own expectations of current community values. "Heaven 103, far from blue - a solitary fate", is a parable on the immense migrational drift happening today, as well as a critical evaluation of the current condition of society. Premièred at Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen.
Oh Frederick!
„Oh Frederick! My Crypt is Mine". In this black comedy an ineducable nephew of an charitable family in Potsdam is involved in a satanically cheerful farce, dealing with love, passion, medical experiments and resurrection. Important people of Potsdam society make up the centre of this comedy. While they circle in Hardy’s orbit, they are subject to the unconventional nephew’s genetic experiments, he calls „peaceful resurrection“. Historical figures, like Stalin and Frederick the Great, get involved, as well as a generous supporter from the Clinton White House.
The Crystal Tower
The drama „The Crystal Tower“ is an adaption of „Heaven 103, far from blue“ in Farsi. It premièred in 2007 at the State Theatre of Teheran. Director Nasrollah Ghaderi's interpretation focuses more on the cultural differences between East and West then the German staging did. He also sets a different emotional tone with the female protagonist.
Kummeroff
One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, former judge Kummeroff lives with his family in a magnificent villa, which he has snaffled under the old GDR regime, through means of denunciation of his long-time college Wagner and his son. Kummeroff’s life is dominated by separation anxiety and he act accordingly. He lives in constant fear, all his illegal possessions will be repossessed by its rightful owners. He installs alarm systems and tyrannizes his family with emergency drills. Seemingly by accident, a student, Mike Blaschke, wanders into the house. During the family's holiday he offers to stay and watch the house. But, Mike has a hidden agenda, which he conceals well. His cleverly asked questions reveal the villa's dark secrets. The "memory of things" is awakened, and the shadows of the past are crawling back to the surface, and demand justice. Among those things, is Julius Wagner, first love of his favoured daughter Else, and son of the betrayed college Wagner. It is revealed that Kummeroff incarcerated Julius and denounced Wagner out of jealousy. That broke Else’s heart and that is why she broke with her father. The drama tightens when Blaschke is exposed as Wagner’s second son, and Else comes back to the villa. "Kummeroff" is a bitter-sweat comedy about egoism, about needs and wants, and about epochal ideologies that fail because of these frailties.