Written & Composed Locally: Berlin – Faded Memories

It’s not everyday that Alexandria has completely original locally produced, performed and composed art. Here is your chance to experience Berlin – Faded Memories:
 

The Alexandria Area Arts and Lakes Area Radio Theatre are excited to present a new radio theatre event, Berlin-Faded Memories.  This cold-war era drama is a semi-autobiographical telling of Karl Zimmer’s time serving in the U.S. Army in 1958, and a mission he was asked to complete.  A mission, that according to the U.S. Army, never happened.  Berlin-Faded Memories is written by Alexandria native Bob Sievers (whose experiences in East Berlin serve as the basis for the story) and features an original score composed by Spencer Brand, also of Alexandria, who received a grant to complete the composition.

Berlin-Faded Memories will be performed live, on-stage with a live orchestra, Saturday May 16 (Armed Forces Day) at 7:00pm at the AAAA Theatre and is a fundraiser for the Alexandria Area Arts Association.  Berlin-Faded Memories is directed by Mike Roers and features the voice talents of David Christman, Alex Shockley, Benjamin Klipfel, Kent Garlinghouse, Kip Sundlee, Gary Lund and Scott Giannone.  Hilary Ninman is providing sound effects.  Spencer Brand is the composer and will conduct the orchestra.  Tickets are just $5 and are available at the door.

Playwright Bob Sievers wrote the story as an opportunity to tell about a six month period of his time in the U.S. Army – a story he hasn’t told until now.  During the writing process, local music student Spencer Brand read the script and wanted to create a classical score to accompany the story, and over the past several months has worked to create Berlin-Faded Memories.

“This is a unique and interesting story, full of mystery and intrigue,” said Benjamin Klipfel, Executive Director of the AAAA. “It is even more interesting that the story is auto-biographical and features a brand new, original score.  It’s rare that community theatres have the opportunity to present and promote original, locally created art.”

Tickets for Berlin-Faded Memories are available at the door for $5.00.  All proceeds benefit the Alexandria Area Arts Association.  For more information, contact the AAAA Box Office at 320-762-8300.

 

Playwright’s Notes: Bob Sievers on Berlin-Faded Memories

First, we have an 80-year-old Alexandrian who wrote a radio play about some of his time in the Army.  Big deal !   Then something very unusual happened.  A friend … a 19-year-old friend and neighbor read the play . He then stated that he wanted to write an original musical score … a classical musical score … to support the play.  Unheard of !  But almost a year later, here we are … and here you are.

This is my story.  It’s a story about six months I spent in Berlin. You see, I was in the Army when I was married in December of 1957, and right afterward, in early 1958 I was transferred to Berlin.  At almost the same time Nikita Kruschev was appointed Soviet Primier.  He didn’t like the way Berlin had been divided up after the war, and he started making a lot of noise about how he was going to change things.   The Allied Forces put all of Berlin on high alert.  That meant no dependents were allowed to come into the city.  That alert lasted for about six months.

My wife joined me at the end of July.  We spent a marvelous year-and-a-half  in Berlin, living off base with a German family and traveling all over Europe.  All my family and friends know all about those times and trips.

BUT, I‘ve never told anybody about those six months I spent in Berlin alone before my wife joined me.  No one.  I didn’t want to talk about it, and nobody really asked.  I didn’t even talk to my wife about it then, and I haven’t talked about it for more than 50 years.

My younger son, Tim, will be in the audience.  He’ll tell you that he’s heard hundreds of stories and seen countless pictures and movies of his mother and I together in Berlin, but nothing about that six months of 1958.

Now it’s time.

Time to tell my story.

Let’s go back to 1958.

Back to 1958 Berlin.

Back to Faded Memories.