Mr. Schuch, in the movie “Dear Thomas”, you play the rebellious East German intellectual Thomas Brasch (Thomas Brasch). what do you think?
As an actor, this is a huge gift for me. It is multifaceted to play a person who turns the inner and emotional world outward. He leads many different lives at the same time. He is an instinctive person, full of bubbling energy. As an actor, it is great to be able to embody a person who can illuminate every aspect of life.
How did you prepare?
I have read many of his works and studied them classically. First of all, I participated in his literary creation. Then I researched strange private files, looking for photos, in order to have an intimate impression of this person. I also met female companions-women are an important part of his life. He met many people in the theater. Blasch was a superstar at the time, and everyone wanted to be with him and attend his party. He was one of the smartest people in that era because he never accepted superficiality. He also has great energy. He is a candle burning on both sides, this is the evaluation of his companions. At first, everything in his life was radiant, then suddenly it became dark.
You were born in Jena in 1985. Brasch is your first role as an Eastern intellectual. Is this a special challenge?
No, but an exciting character. I have only lived in East Germany for five years, but there are always many people around me who are absorbing this time and experiencing the changes in the system firsthand. Everyone has their own story, whether in the family circle, in the circle of friends, or in the school. You get socialized directly or indirectly. When the drum teacher said that he had to replace his bass drum with a shower head because he didn’t get a clapper. These are ridiculously sad stories of fate, these stories of friction and betrayal. In this regard, Blasch’s story seems somewhat familiar. His whole family is very interesting-his father is the Deputy Minister of Culture in East Germany. He often doesn’t know where he is or what he really wants. You can understand him from his lyrics. Then this is my inspiration. But it cannot exceed inspiration, otherwise I will not play. If I participate in a role too much with the amount of knowledge I have gathered, I will go crazy.
Do you find it easier to play a fictional character?
No, I won’t say that. When adapting the novel, I mixed fictional biographies with real characters.
Why do you appear in so many literary adaptations now?
They are exciting materials, mainly from when there are so many friction points and the environment is so huge that they create characters. This gives us energy as actors.
Have you been in contact with Thomas Brasch before?
In drama school, I often read Blasch’s texts. “Why play” is the name. It hangs in my locker in Leipzig and is a pamphlet of passionate performances. What are the advantages of this profession over normal daily life. It’s about holding up a mirror for people, allowing you to lie and do what you want. “Why play to play” is the last sentence in it. At the same time there are some serious and easy things. Like all of Blasch’s texts, I mainly understand the depth of Katharina Thalbach’s interpretation. This removed his heaviness, because his writing was very wise.
