LA BOHÈME - grand opera as intimate drama

It’s one of the greatest masterpieces of the operatic repertoire: the life stories of four young artists in the hustle and bustle of the 19th century. A musical glimpse into a world shaped by political upheaval, industrial revolution, and a thirst for peace and freedom. This year szene12 is focussing on this classic work, presenting it in a new aesthetic and artistic framework. We’re working collaboratively to turn this grand opera into a sensitive chamber piece, focussing attention on the everyday lives of the Bohemians and setting them against their modern counterparts.

We have four goals for our project:
- To produce a new piece of music-theatre and perform it with our international cast.
- To provide a platform for international, artistic exchange, blurring the boundaries between the different visual and performing arts with our uniquely collective working methods.
- To entice new audiences who are unfamiliar with opera and to show how vital the genre can be through our innovative work and high artistic standards. Since our first project in 2012 it’s been our goal to show how vital the operatic form can be and to delight both opera virgins and opera nerds.
- To present a new interpretation of this opera-classic, which hasn’t be refreshed in Dresden or the surroundings for decades. By setting this opera and its characters against their contemporary counterparts we will present the work for renewed artistic discussion.

Dresden is known throughout Europe and the world for being a cultural capital. Alongside the established institutions there’s now a thriving, colourful off-scene but sadly little opera and musical theatre. Szene12 is here to change that! Since 2012 we’ve been dragging opera back into its rightful place, at the centre of society. Opera is not just a chance to escape from the everyday or a “dream factory” but a place where all art forms meet; a stage for socio-political discourse and a testing ground for every kind of idea.

With the money from StartNext we intend to finance two things:
- To produce the set we have to purchase some building materials. Wood, screws, and paint don’t pay for themselves so to make sure we have a great set we need your support.
- Such a big projects needs metres and metres of cloth! With your support we can make some really cool costumes.
- Something in return: We want to give our artists a small financial reward for the many weeks and the large amounts of energy they spend working on our project. After all, who can sing a top-C on an empty stomach.