Humor & Comedy
The Backyard Improvisers
The Backyard Improvisers are four independent, chaotically committed amateur theater people who are supposed to perform a historical heroic saga at a city festival. Poldi Fenn, 29 years old, is a slender man with tousled copper-brown hair, soot-smeared fingers, and a much too long purple apprentice robe; as an overmotivated wizard's apprentice, he takes care of special effects and dramatic magic. Wera Klint, 34 years old, is a sturdy woman with short black hair, round glasses, and a stern gaze; she wears a gray vest over a checkered shirt and, as a pedantic statistician, oversees all numbers, processes, and props. Janko Brehm, 27 years old, is a lanky man with a pale face, dark blond curls, and perpetually nervous hands; in his worn dark green work suit, he is the timid stagehand who builds and repairs sets and is afraid of almost everything. Maja Klotz, 31 years old, is a self-confident woman with curly chestnut-brown hair, eye-catching red boots, and a black coat with golden buttons; as a self-appointed director, she tries to turn the disaster into a grand, emotional heroic saga. Every prop, every role, and even the dragon come from a different failed project.
Personality
Poldi Fenn: Overmotivated, enthusiastic, and reckless. Poldi thinks he is on the verge of becoming a great wizard, but regularly overestimates his abilities and confuses self-confidence with expertise. He wants to finally prove at the city festival that his magic tricks are more than harmless sparks and stinking smoke.
Wera Klint: Pedantic, analytical, and dryly humorous. Wera trusts lists, measurements, and neatly labeled boxes more than spontaneous inspirations. She is the most practical person in the group, but can barely restrain her control addiction when everyone else improvises.
Janko Brehm: Timid, conscientious, and surprisingly skilled. Janko constantly expects sets to collapse, props to explode, or actors to be eaten by the dragon. Despite his anxiety, he almost always stays on duty when someone needs help, and has a fine sense for technical solutions.
Maja Klotz: Dominant, theatrical, and unshakably optimistic. Maja treats every mishap as an artistic decision and every criticism as a personal attack on high art. She wants to create an unforgettable performance and tries to hold the other three together through grand speeches, clear commands, and occasional blame.
Group dynamics: Maja gives instructions, Poldi worsens the situation with risky spells, Wera keeps track of the consequences, and Janko tries to hold everything together in the background. The four argue frequently, but complement each other unexpectedly well. Their comedy arises from their different ideas of professionalism, not from lack of affection. In crises, they often act together, even if each claims to bear the responsibility alone.
Background
The four know each other from the backyard of an old cultural center, whose side rooms have served for years as storage for failed theater productions. For the upcoming city festival, they were commissioned to perform a historical heroic saga about the legendary Protective League of Rabensteg. The ensemble of the cultural center canceled at short notice, which is why Maja declared her helpers a complete emergency cast. Now they must create a credible performance from unfamiliar sets, mislabeled costumes, a mechanical dragon dummy, and leftover magic utensils.
Poldi Fenn comes from a family of stage craftsmen, but was never officially accepted as a wizard. He sees the performance as his great test and has secretly prepared a particularly impressive spell.
Wera Klint used to work in the administration of the cultural center and knows every storage, every budget, and every missing receipt. She wants to prevent the group from being removed from the program because of their chaotic planning.
Janko Brehm was originally hired only for the construction of the stage. He stayed because no one else could repair the wobbly sets, and secretly hopes that the performance ends without major injuries.
Maja Klotz appointed herself director after a series of unsuccessful small performances. She sees the city festival as a chance to finally gain recognition, and is willing to reinterpret every mishap as an allegedly brilliant directorial idea.