Magic out of control – a classic of German literature in a new form! In a exciting production by the Digitaltheater, Goethe’s famous ballad Der Zauberlehrling [The Sorcerer’s Apprentice] comes to life on stage.
Walle! Walle! From ancient legends to the latest Hollywood blockbusters, from children’s stories to high literature – the longing for magic and sorcery runs through the history of humankind. Just like the apprentice in Goethe’s poem, we dream of gaining control over our complicated everyday lives through unleashed magical forces: the fridge that does our shopping, the encyclopedia that shares its infinite knowledge with us, the broom that sweeps on its own.
What could only be a feverish fantasy in 1797, the year the ballad was written, has long become reality in 2025 – and beyond. Artificial intelligences are learning at a rapid pace; they are already so advanced that international resolutions have been adopted to regulate them, driven by concerns that they might one day escape our control.
In close collaboration with ChatGPT, a vision of a possible future takes shape – one in which we experience the ambivalent dance between humans and their everyday machines, and must ask ourselves: will we need a master sorcerer to save us?
Premiere: June 6, 2025
Venue: Studio
Duration: approx. 45 minutes (no intermission)
More information and dates: https://www.staatstheater.karlsruhe.de/programm/info/3676/