Nowhere else can you express yourself as creatively and in such a variety of ways as in the theatre. After five years of theater experience on the Stiftsschule stage, my experience can be summed up succinctly in this sentence. Every year was completely different from the one before, which made it exciting to be a part of.

The first time I was allowed to be on stage was in 2021 with the play “The Robbers” by Friedrich Schiller. There I got to know the theater fundus and experienced what it’s like when you can suddenly slip into 18th century clothes to portray a believable robber. I particularly remember the many laughs backstage when there was a beer in the princess’s room after a set change.

The following year, we performed a play that had been written by an active theater actress together with her older sister, who had also performed at the Kollegitheater. For “Hollywood in the Hotel”, we were allowed to use the Baroque Hall as our theater stage, which meant that we played in the middle of the audience. The idea was for a famous actress to visit the hotel undercover. Disguised as a secretary, I could see how everyone was looking for this famous actress (i.e. me). Stylistically, this play also stood out completely from the other years, as it was a comedy set in modern times. In addition, I enjoyed playing a role that ultimately embodied the “plot twist”.

In my third year, we went back to an old classic: Goethe’s “Faust”. This year, we made full use of special effects. We organized a revolving stage, two fog machines, microphones and additional spotlights to be able to perform Faust’s magical tricks credibly. Behind the scenes, things were sometimes very hectic. Especially when the brakes for the revolving stage jammed again. The role of Mrs. Marthe, Gretchen’s neighbor, allowed me to slip into a completely new character again. I particularly remember the visit to the Theaterfundus in Lucerne, where we were able to choose beautiful dresses for my role as Mrs. Marthe and for a friend who played Gretchen.

In 2025, we ventured in a completely new direction: an open theater. In terms of roles, that was the first big highlight for me, as I played the leading role there. In the play “Puss in Boots or How to Play the Game”, I was able to help the unfortunate miller’s son become king and marry the princess as a tomcat. Our stylist spared no effort to make me look like a real animal. Some of us actors sat in the actual audience and commented on what was happening on stage – but mostly in a negative way. There was also a third, so-called meta-level in this play, in which the director or the technician, for example, spoke to the audience.

This year, I and some of the other “old hands” were initially overwhelmed by the huge growth we had experienced. This year there were 26 actors and actresses on stage. After some searching, Dürrenmatt’s play “The Visit of the Old Lady” caught my eye, which we decided on a few weeks later. We were interested in this work not only because of the large number of actors required, but also because of the moral question of whether justice can be bought. As this was my final year, I wanted to try something completely different. So the role of a money-grabbing villain, who at the same time condemns Ill for his actions, really appealed to me. I was particularly fascinated by the mayor’s emotional transformation towards Ill: from proud successor to perpetrator, from moral conscience to the person who ultimately pushes Ill to commit suicide. To add the finishing touch, I decided to play a man. Once again this year, I can only thank the good stylist who worked wonders with a moustache, wig and clearly visible “Jawline”. The experience of being on and off stage with so many people was once again very special. As every year, there were also great moments backstage, such as the dance interlude backstage when the old lady’s favorite piece, an Armenian folk tune, was played.

I will always have wonderful memories of my five years in the theatre. During this time, I was able to make great friends and experience many great and funny, but also hectic moments.

Romina Zeugin
Matura class 2026