In his play "Birthday Candles," American playwright Noah Haidle spins a thread of life on which birthdays (some more, some less solemnly celebrated) are strung like pearls on a necklace. 100 years of life – 100 birthday cakes that Ernestine bakes each year according to her mother's recipe as she searches for her place in the universe. At 18, Ernestine is convinced she'll find that place on a theater stage, far away from her tranquil hometown, but as the saying goes, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Ernestine starts a family with her childhood sweetheart, experiences highs and lows, and ultimately finds herself reflected in the questions, wishes, and dreams of those who come after her.

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Birthday Candles

Theater Lübeck

"What kind of people were they? What were they talking about? Who dared to attack him in his apartment?" Before breakfast on his 30th birthday, two men appeared in Joseph K.'s room and declared him under arrest. They explained nothing more. The authority they were from and what he was accused of remained a mystery. The men didn't take him away, allowing Joseph K. to continue his work. Convinced of his innocence, his attempts to appear in court led him to the city's twisted attics. Joseph K. hired a lawyer, but he searched in vain for a solution to his case or a sensible course of action. Although Joseph K. was gradually absorbed in his trial, it made little progress—until one day he learned of his conviction...

The process

A young humanities scholar examines a painting, a still life: a man sitting on a chair. Aha. First half of the 19th century, Biedermeier. Oh, I see. Doesn't sound all that exciting at first… Until she begins to classify the painting, to reflect on the time in which it was created: the era of industrialization, railroads, Krupp, Marx, and Bismarck. A rapidly developing time, inventions that seemed to happen every minute, from an agrarian country to an industrial nation, fast, dirty, loud, a diverging two-class system. But the still life shows: domestic peace, order, and clarity. Outside, the world is transforming; inside, within his protected four walls, sits the Max Mustermann of the Biedermeier era. For simplicity's sake, the viewer calls him Frank. And she classifies it again: Biedermeier vs. the present: escape into a private idyll, cocooning, Manufactum and XXXLutz at home – coronavirus, war, and climate change elsewhere. And indeed, we've always been good at retreating into the private sphere. Everything won't be so bad... The image is accurate.

The still life

"At this location, Hafenstraße 52, on January 18, 1996, ten people died in an arson attack. They had come to Germany seeking refuge here. This event fills us with grief and pain. Those responsible for the crime have not been identified. The deaths of the victims and the suffering of their families remind us to stand up for the rights and safety of refugees."

Harbor Street

It's their fourth meeting, and the man and the woman seem to be a perfect match. They count the days, hours, and minutes that have passed since they last saw each other: "Five days, two hours, six minutes." They talk about their fears: "What was it today? The black dog? The climate?" They don't communicate digitally, but write on pieces of paper what they want to say to each other at their next meeting: "Monday. I wake up thinking of you." But what actually happens in our hearts, brains, and guts when we're in love? Neuroscience has been studying this topic for 20 years and has now proven which hormones are necessary and which brain areas are involved in creating a lifelong bond between two individuals. So, could we in the near future control all of our emotions using chemicals and build neural networks so similar to our brains that they can not only learn but also feel?

Lilly Gropper

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 6 - May 28, 2026

Birthday Candles · Theater Lübeck

Past events

Feb 6 - May 28, 2026

Birthday Candles · Theater Lübeck

Nov 7, 2025 - Mar 12, 2026

The process · Theater Lübeck

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