In the late 1980’s JoAnne was one of the first members of Hildegard’s care-giving team. She developed a close friendship with my mother and discovered a lasting interest in her stories--and a fascination with the city of Dresden .

Originally, she wrote “The Wander Theater” as a novel. Later, she decided to adapt it for the stage.  Since then, “The Wander Theater” has gone through many incarnations—one of which she and I worked on together, until our muses took us in different directions.

Here is the beginning of her new one-woman show. Tune in for further developments!

 The Wander Theater (a play for one-actor, illustrated)

 Setting:  A classroom. All we need are a table and a chair, or a podium.  And we need a screen or a blank wall, for images.    

 Music:  Atmospheric, instrumental theater music from 1930’s Germany plays.

When the audience is seated, we hear the lighter music of Bach-- Goldberg Variations, #2.

 HILDEGARD enters. She carries a dressy hand bag (containing her presenter for showing slides), a copy of the novel Fabian, a magazine article “Close the Door”--and her script.  She walks confidently over to the table, puts her things down, and turns to the audience. MUSIC STOPS.  

HILDEGARD

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for inviting me into your classroom to speak with you today. I think some of you already know me. My name is Hildegard Meiran and I’ve been here for many years, teaching German—(stops, suddenly upset) Oh, God, I knew I forgot something… Please excuse me… (opens her bag) Before we get started… that letter, I can’t remember if I mailed it. That letter… that letter…

(She looks around in her bag, takes the presenter out, puts it aside, distracted.)

 I hate these gadgets, don’t you?  (searches but can’t find her letter, gives up) Well, I’ll find it later, I’m sure. (cheerful again) But where were we? (remembers) Oh, yes—teaching! I’ve been here in America for many years, teaching German. I always enjoyed teaching German. But I was born in Dresden , Germany --and when I lived in Dresden I was in the theater!

  The (using English pronunciation) wander theater! In German we pronounced it vahn-der-tay-ah-ter[1]! That was the traveling theater. I was on stage. I memorized so many lines when I was acting. How did I ever do it? My memory gets worse every day now. (pause) My sons want me to go to a neurologist for testing; they want me to get my head examined! (pause)

But I don’t need a memory today:  I have a friend who is a writer! My good friend Herr Parker has kindly prepared a script for us today. (looks for her script) Let’s see… it’s around here somewhere… (finds it) Ah, here it is! (shaking it in the air)

And I have pictures! (picks up her presenter, waves it in the air) And you know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words.

(Now she begins to read from her script, and may continue reading as closely and as often as her memory requires.)  

You see! This was me. I was Saint Joan----in the play, by George Bernard Shaw:  Die Heilige Johanna, Saint Joan.  I used the stage name then:  Hildegard Zander.  

I was born Hildegard Zucker. But Zucker in German means sugar. The directors found it too… suggestive. (sexy gesture) And so I took a stage name. This photograph was taken by Genja Jonas—a very famous photographer.

(STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS!)