Who is Nicolai Tegeler? For those who don't know him yet: he is a versatile German theater maker who has developed over recent decades into one of the most striking figures in the German-speaking cultural landscape. He began his career as an actor, stood in front of the camera and on stage for many years, but gradually grew into directing, producing and what he himself calls a "cultural entrepreneur." Today he sees himself primarily as a storyteller, regardless of the role in which he works. Not only playing stories, but also developing, shaping and producing them himself: that became the driving force behind his work. With productions in cities like Bremen, Graz, Bayreuth and Coburg, he built a reputation as someone who translates classical texts into a contemporary context. Werner De Smet spoke for Klassiek Centraal with him about his latest project: a staging of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Jedermann on the Weimar Marktplatz, in mid-August.
With this new production, Tegeler deliberately chooses not to copy the famous Salzburg tradition. He wants to bring Hofmannsthal's iconic work (1874-1929) closer to the contemporary audience again – not as a distant classical repertoire piece, but as a direct confrontation with life's big questions. At the core of his artistic vision is the conviction that art can touch and connect people, and that theater is strongest when different art forms flow together: music deepens emotion, literature provides philosophical depth, performance keeps humanity central. "When all these elements come together, something is created that is greater than the individual parts," he says. Tegeler therefore does not see theater merely as entertainment, but as a place where people are challenged to reflect on themselves, their choices and their mortality. That is precisely why Jedermann has fascinated him for many years.
What keeps fascinating him in Jedermann? According to Tegeler, the play reveals a fundamental human truth that never loses its relevance. "We all think we still have time," he says. "We postpone decisions, dreams or reconciliations." That is precisely where he sees the enormous power of the piece: it confronts people with the question of what ultimately remains when success, possessions and superficialities fall away. Although Jedermann has strong religious roots, Tegeler considers it primarily as an existential drama that goes far beyond faith alone. Themes such as fear, loss, guilt, hope and the search for meaning are universally recognizable. This makes the piece resonate with people who have little or no connection to religion. For Tegeler, Jedermann is ultimately not about dogmas, but about the human condition itself.
At the same time, he emphasizes that his production does not want to be a provocative break with tradition. The Salzburg Jedermann remains for him a cultural monument that deserves great respect. Without the Salzburg Festival, the play might never have developed into the symbol it is today in the German-speaking theater landscape. But according to Tegeler, each generation has the responsibility to find its own interpretation. "I don't want to copy the Salzburg Jedermann," he says. "I want to tell our own version." That is precisely why the choice of Weimar plays such an important role in this production. For Tegeler, the city is one of Europe's most meaningful cultural places. Here the heritage of Goethe and Schiller, the history of the Weimar Republic and the legacy of the Bauhaus come together. Great art and great ideas, but also historical fault lines and human tragedies – with the proximity of Buchenwald – are part of the city's identity. "Weimar reminds us of what people are capable of – for good and for evil," he says. According to him, that very historical layering makes Weimar particularly suitable for a piece that revolves around responsibility, transience and humanity.
According to Tegeler, this connection to a city directly influences the way he develops a production. Every location possesses its own character, history and audience, and that automatically changes the atmosphere of a production. A Jedermann in Weimar feels different to him than in the cities where he has staged the piece before. The core of the story remains the same, but the surroundings give the piece a different energy each time. This makes theater alive and current for him. For this reason, he also deliberately chooses performance venues with a strong identity. He dislikes anonymous or interchangeable theaters without history. Marketplaces, historical locations and special open-air venues should be part of the narrative. "I look for places with a soul," he says. The space thus becomes not only a backdrop, but an active conversation partner with the production itself.
At the beginning of this new production, Tegeler therefore posed himself one central artistic question: how do you tell Jedermann today in such a way that people feel immediately addressed personally? Not as a historical curiosity or a classic spectacle, but as a story that goes directly to their own lives. According to him, the reactions of the audience show that this approach works. Many visitors initially expect a traditional theater evening, but leave the performance visibly moved. Afterwards, conversations often arise about family, loss, reconciliation or unfulfilled dreams. That touches him time and again, he says. The piece has also changed him personally. Working for years around themes such as mortality, responsibility and the essence of life inevitably leaves its mark according to him. "Jedermann reminds me too what really matters."
In an era in which people are constantly distracted and rarely come to rest, Tegeler also sees an almost spiritual role for theater once again. Not necessarily religious, he emphasizes, but spiritual in the sense of a genuine encounter with oneself. "Theater can create spaces in which people step out of their daily flow for a moment and engage with the great questions of life," he says. According to him, Jedermann today may even possess more power than ever because it forces the audience to reflect on what really counts in life. What he ultimately hopes visitors will take away from the performance on the Weimarer Marktplatz in mid-August is above all emotion and awareness. That people perhaps finally speak out what they have long wanted to say. That they become grateful for what they have. And that they realize that success, money and possessions have value, but are never the most important thing.