Marie also means "she who comes from the sea". Perhaps that is why our actress Marie-Theres Schwinn is drawn out into the world again and again. First she rehearsed in Berlin for a theatre summer aboard the cruise ship "Mein Schiff 5". Then, on 17 June, she went on board for four and a half months. Performances take place both in the 1,000-seat theatre and on the somewhat smaller studio stage. This contract is especially exciting, because Marie-Theres will be performing a classic at sea: "Harry & Sally". In addition, the programme includes various readings, a romantic and entertaining play about the Comedian Harmonists, musicals, a crime dinner and even a solo programme based on the novel "Vorlaut ist auch nicht leise" by Laurie Notaro. The ensemble consists of 6 singers, 4 artistes, 4 actors and 8 dancers. Animation, incidentally, is not among the ensemble's duties — they are all trained artists. For Marie-Theres it is already her third contract on board. "I love the variety and the challenge of performing so many pieces in such a short time. I also love waking up in a different port every morning. Last year I visited more than 40 ports in four months. I did have to get used to the swell, though. Once the swell suddenly got so bad that we changed everything backstage during the performance. The audience themselves were rather green in the face too — the applause after the performance was overwhelming. We were completely exhausted, but happy." Life on board is very intense, the actress recounts. You grow together quite differently, because you can't go home in the evening. "That also creates the very special chemistry on stage. Once, after the performance, a woman said to me: I'd never really been to the theatre before, but when I'm back home I'm going to do this more often. That made me very happy." Well then — ahoy, and may there always be a hand's breadth of water beneath the keel!
Harry & Sally on the High Seas
