Behind the curtain on stage between the homemade decor, the tension rises. The final make-up, a drink while the room fills up… Lights off, spotlight on. Theater association De Heidebloem in Odoorn has existed for a hundred years.
Saturday evening is the last of the four performances of the Heidebloem. This year the theater group is performing the farce The jokers in De Boshof. “For the first time, we actually have a piece that makes you think. Everyone is someone else, someone who is not actually that person. So you have to pay close attention,” says Ankie Klaar (64), former player and one of the directors.
And there is something else special: because De Heidebloem has been around for a hundred years, the association is going big this year. For example, there is a photo exhibition in the adjacent vestry of the church. In addition to photos behind the scenes and of performances – the oldest from 1949 – there are player lists from the very early years, script booklets, brochures, and props such as wigs, glasses, and bags.
‘A real theater family’
There is a cheerful atmosphere in the consistory. “This is so nice to see again”, “Oh yes, look at this…”, “Very beautiful”, it sounds. “It was a very nice time. What memories pass by,” says Roelie Tissing (74), player from 1971 to 2009.
Well, actually she never really stopped – she still comes to watch and joins in sometimes. “I was about 18, when they had a small role. And that’s how you accidentally get into it. You think, I’ll do it for a year, but I haven’t stopped,” she says.
“It is a very close group. You can build on and trust each other. A real theater family. Everything is possible, nothing is mandatory,” adds Klaar.
An evening of laughter
The group usually consists of ten players. Every year the piece is selected around summer and rehearsals begin in the autumn. The performances will follow in February. The play is usually a comedy or farce, and where possible in Drenthe.
“We always try to come up with something with humor. We don’t have any heavy pieces. You want the audience to be able to laugh for an evening,” says Klaar. Every year they entertain about five hundred spectators.
What is your favorite memory? Difficult to choose. Tissing points to a photo of the performance A promise is a promise , 1987. “A terribly beautiful piece. I was sitting there on the bike and had to be lifted off, but my legs were stuck in the pannier, so that was difficult. The audience laughed a lot.” When she talks about it, she almost bursts into tears herself.
“Yes, that was the most fun, for example when you came on stage wrong or something didn’t work out,” Klaar also laughs.
Ready comes first The dieg is not cooked , 2007, as one of her fondest memories. “Because I got to play a guy,” she says. “You can be anything, that’s so much fun, you can let off steam.” But Farmer looking for slip , 2017, is also high on the list. “Real underwear fun.”
Beautiful decors
The group tries to do something different every year. Pieces performed in a homemade boat, a café, the forest, the farm. Everything is made and arranged in-house. “We have a lot of work to do, but it is very beautiful,” says Klaar.
“We do our best for that. You must all continue to show your commitment. For example, now we need a new rehearsal space in Odoorn, so we are busy looking, everyone is contributing.”
After a hundred years, the group has no intention of stopping. There is enough growth. The daughters of Klaar and Tissing are now also participating. “We pass on our talents!”