Prinz Friedrich von Homburg

On the eve of the Battle of Fehrbellin (1675): the Prince of Homburg, cavalry general to the Elector of Brandenburg, is observed by courtiers weaving a laurel wreath in his sleep. In a dream, he approaches Natalie, the Elector’s niece, and confesses his love for her. When the Prince awakes, he discovers her glove in his hand. Confused by the dream, he misses the Elector’s instructions and, contrary to all orders, intervenes in the battle too early. The Prince wins the battle but the Elector nevertheless sentences him to death. Homburg begs for mercy. The Elector is prepared to pardon him but only if Homburg believes »he has suffered an injustice«.

Heinrich von Kleist’s final play, written in 1810/11 just a few months before his suicide, draws its potential for conflict from the dichotomies stemming from Homburg’s refusal to obey orders, namely individual freedom versus the requirements of the state and feeling versus the (military) duty to obey. Is the Prince a hero or a maverick? Dreamer or traumatized? Homburg is torn by contradictions and does not know how to reconcile his inner world view with reality. Is it impossible, as Ingeborg Bachmann said, »to be an officer and human at the same time«?

Jette Steckel was born in Berlin in 1982 and is associate director at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. She has directed at the Schauspiel Köln and the Burgtheater Wien as well as at various operas and regularly at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. In 2007, Theater heute magazine voted her Young Director of the Year for her production of Darja Stocker’s »Nachtblind«. In 2008 she won the Gertrud Eysoldt Young Directors’ Award for »Gerettet« (»Saved«) whilst in 2015 her production of William Shakespeare’s »Romeo and Juliet« won the German DER FAUST theatre award. In 2017, she was presented with the Rolf Mares Prize for »The Eighth Life (for Brilka)« written by Nino Haratischwili. In 2023, she won the DER FAUST theatre award again for »Das mangelnde Licht«. »The Prince of Homburg« is Jette Steckel’s first production at the Schaubühne.