INCONTRI AL CORSO 18 – WITH WOLFGANG ADENBERG

Des Lebens goldner Baum – Eine Goethe-Sitcom (The Golden Tree of Life – A Goethe Sitcom)

INCONTRI AL CORSO 18 is a series of events during which the fellows, who will live and work in Via del Corso 18 for two months, will present their projects.

Writer and translator Wolfgang Adenberg is in Rome in search of the comic aspect of Goethe, writing an eight-episode sitcom in the style of Big Bang Theory or Modern Family.

Goethe was the prince of poets, an Olympian, a favourite of the gods, worshipped by thousands during his lifetime – and well aware of his importance.

But Goethe was also a private man. How did he deal with a teenage son who simply found his father embarrassing? With a wife who demanded more help with the housework than erudite speeches? With a rival named August von Kotzebue, who made life difficult for him with constant intrigues?

In an open dialogue with the audience, Wolfgang Adenberg will talk about how these aspects are dealt with in his sitcom.

The event will be in German.

Foto: Wolfgang Adenberg @ Martin Miseré

Wolfgang Adenberg (born 1967 in Cologne) is one of the most frequently performed authors and translators of German-language musical theatre. He has written the libretti for more than 20 musicals and operas, including Emil und die Detektive, Moulin Rouge Story, Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war, Gefährliche Liebschaften or Wie William Shakespeare wurde, as well as translations of more than 50 other works, Mary Poppins, Titanic, We will rock you, etc..

During the coronavirus pandemic, he turned to scriptwriting and developed several radio drama series as a series creator, writer and director, including the 18-part true crime series Erwischt! Zeitreise ins Verbrechen and the accompanying podcast.

A graduate in law, he worked for 20 years as a legal advisor for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Bonn before deciding to devote himself full-time to writing.

Wolfgang Adenberg’s awards include the Goldene Schallplatte, the German Musical Theatre Prize and the Stuttgart Audience Prize.

We would like to thank the Karin and Uwe Hollweg Foundation for supporting the scholarship programme.